Salem Mayoral Candidate Q&A: Paul Prevey

SALEM, MA – When you vote in the next local election, know your candidates. Patch is putting together these Q&As for those running to be Salem's next mayor.

Name, as it will appear on the ballot: Paul Prevey

Age: 49

Hometown: North Adams, MA (has lived in Salem for 17 years)

Party affiliation: Un-enrolled/Independent

Education: BA in Philosophy; some graduate work for Masters in Public Administration

Work history: 25 years with the U.S. District Court as a Senior Probation Officer

Volunteer history: Volunteered in 204-2005 on Mayor's Homelessness Task Force; 2005 Member of the School Superintendent's Drug Task Force

Have you run before? If so, when?: Served as Salem Ward 6 Councillor from 2006 to 2013; City Council President in 2009 and Chair of Administration and Finance for 4 of 8 years on the City Council.

Why did you decide to run?: Over the last several years, Salem has experienced some positive growth, however there have been many changes and trends which are very problematic for Salem's positive future. Salem has become very unaffordable, and across the City, I see and speak with many people who feel that the quality of life has diminished over the years. Despite the amount of taxes, fees, surcharges and fines people pay for various city-related items, people do not feel that they are getting much in return. Our schools have been struggling for a number of years and the confidence that many people in the City used to have in the school system has eroded. If elected, I will push to ensure that our schools receive the funding that they need and that it is applied to the areas of the school district where it will have the most impact.

What do you hope to accomplish as mayor?: 1. Focus resources on underperforming schools to ensure improvement and success; 2. Build the long-promised senior center so that our seniors, and the entire community, have a place where they can feel a sense of community that is supportive and caring; 3. Encourage business growth which will have long term benefits for our economic prosperity; 4. Limit overdevelopment of proposed large residential development that overburdens our infrastructure; 5. Limit the skyrocketing tax increases which have contributed to making Salem unaffordable to seniors and many struggling families; 6. Make Salem a leader in combatting the opiate crisis by offering support and resources to families struggling with an addicted loved-one.

What should constituents know about you?: I'm a very good listener who values other people's opinions and perspective. I'm a consensus builder who believes that any problem can be solved when input and solutions are sought from those most affected. I'm a big believer that communities should be guided by a "bottom up" approach where government constantly seeks the input and involvement from community members who are seeing the problem up close and have a unique perspective to offer for a solution.

Image via Paul Prevey