For Beverly City Council Candidates, Affordability Is Key Issue

BEVERLY, MA — When Ward 3 Beverly City Councilor James Latter said he will not run for another term earlier this year, four candidates jumped into the race to succeed him. Those four candidates will square off in a preliminary election on Sept. 24, with the two receiving the highest vote totals moving onto the final ballot in the Nov. 5 general election.

Stacy Ames, Euplio "Rick" Marciano, Kirstin Shapiro and Kris Silverstein will meet Thursday in a candidates' forum at 7 p.m. at Beverly High School. And when they do, a likely topic of discussion will be keeping affordable. All of them listed some variation of "affordability" and housing costs when Beverly Patch asked them to name the most important issue in the race.

As a member of the school committee, Kris Silverstein is the only candidate in the race who has held elected office before. She said she wants to work closely with the planning board to make sure residents understand the impact new housing and development will have on traffic, schools and city services.

"I am concerned about the future of our city and ensuring that we have affordable housing for seniors and veterans. I also believe that we should focus efforts on helping our young people stay in our city should they have the desire," Silverstein said. "I believe in thoughtful budget planning with a focus on sustainability for our city and schools so we can continue to enjoy the services that we currently have without having to make cuts or painful decisions."

Kirstin Shapiro says the problem in Beverly is an extension of the problem of a middle-class squeeze at the stat and national level. At the local level, officials can combat the problem through "compassionate planning, thoughtful zoning and smart ordinances."

"To be cost-burdened is to pay 30% or more of your income towards your housing costs...I know this is true for my family and many of our neighbors," she said. "In this situation people forgo proper healthcare, childcare, food, and numerous other necessities as they try to care for themselves and their family. From a local level to a national level I feel it is the responsibility of our civil servants to stand up for their communities and say, 'enough is enough'."

Stacy Ames is concerned that much of the new housing in Beverly is high-end housing. That helps bolster the city's tax base, but it doesn't help make it more affordable for people who want to stay in or move to Beverly.

"If we want to keep our older citizens and younger couples here, the city must be proactive in reaching a balance in housing development that considers people of all ages and economic means," Ames said. "The city council should insist on this and I would be an advocate for new housing affordable to these groups who are now caught in the middle."

Euplio "Rick" Marciano wants taxes from new developments to go towards giving direct relief to current property taxpayers in Beverly. He said he would propose legislation that would do exactly that if elected.

"Currently zero monies from New Growth are used to give Property Tax Relief to property owners. This is one of the many reasons why property taxes are legally going higher than 2½ percent annually," Marciano said. "Keep in mind that new growth does not lower property taxes."

Beverly Preliminary Election: What You Need To Know

If you are not registered to vote in Beverly, you missed the deadline to register for the Sept. 24th preliminary election. You can, however, register to vote in the general election on Nov. 5. The deadline to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 16. The City Clerk's office will be open until 8 p.m. on Oct. 16 to accommodate voter registrations, and you can also register online.

You can check your voting status on the Secretary of State's Website. You can also use the Website to find your polling place.

Only residents of Ward 3 will vote in the preliminary election, as all of the other races have two or fewer candidates for each seat. It's a relatively quiet year in Beverly politics, with the only contested races being in Ward 3 and 5 for City Council and Ward 4 for School Committee.

Only voters in Ward 3 will vote Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both precincts 1 & 2 in Ward 3 vote at the McKeown School at 70 Balch Street.

Absentee Ballots

The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot is noon on the day before the election, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of State. Absentee ballots can be requested from the Town Clerk in writing, by either the voter or a family member. Absentee ballots are available to people who will be out of town during the hours the polls are open, have a physical disability preventing them from going to the polling place, or a religious belief.

The easiest way to request an absentee ballot is to fill out a Massachusetts Absentee Ballot Application and return it to the town clerk's office.