Why Phil Palmieri Wants Back On The Worcester City Council After 8 Years Gone

WORCESTER, MA — If Encyclopaedia Britannica ever wants to publish a few volumes about Worcester politics, they should talk to Phil Palmieri.

Palmieri can zip through names of local movers and shakers, recalling old political spats and victories, like the time a local hotel owner tipped Palmieri off about an MLB union official who was staying in town. Palmieri sent flowers to his hotel room and asked for a phone call to discuss possibly bringing the Pawtucket Red Sox here.

"My phone rang as I'm going down I-290," he recalls. "We met him at the Sole Proprietor."

That call didn't lead to any Pawtucket deal at the time. But the rest is history.

Palmieri spent 2002 to 2015 as the District 2 councilor, a time when he cemented political alliances and positions that are driving his run in 2023. Palmieri will face four-term incumbent Candy Mero-Carlson and newcomer Robert Bilotta in the upcoming preliminary election. Mero-Carlson's performance in recent years motivated Palmieri's run this year; he disagrees with her on some major issues, saying they're "philosophically on opposite sides."

This is part of a series profiling the 14 candidates who will compete in the Sept. 5 Worcester city council preliminary elections. Patch has reached out to every candidate in each preliminary race seeking interviews.

On Tuesday afternoon, Palmieri was at the track at Quinsigamond Community College walking his new dog, Gus, an 8-year-old golden retriever he adopted (with his daughter's help) from Turkey. As Gus writhes on the grass in the shade of a tree, Palmieri rattles off reasons why he wants to return to the city council.

Rising property taxes and housing costs are at the top of the list, issues he says are intertwined with financial commitments the city has made. He means Polar Park, whose construction the city funded with public debt. The city plans to pay that debt off using property taxes from developments around the park that are mostly still in the works. If those developments don’t pan out, he said, taxpayers could be on the hook.

"Ed Augustus gave it away," Palmieri said of the deal city officials made to build Polar Park.

Mero-Carlson, he said, was a "rubber stamp" on that 2018 deal. She was the chair of the council's economic development committee charged with overseeing the Polar Park deal that city leaders put together. He also criticized the city's broad use of tax incentives to create market-rate housing when seniors and low-income residents desperately need affordable units.

A critic of Augustus now, Palmieri was once a supporter of the ex-city manager, who is now Gov. Maura Healey’s housing czar. Before leaving office in 2015, Palmieri called on the council to renew Augustus' contract for another five years (they did). Palmieri says he likes Augustus successor Eric Batista, but feels Batista will have a hard time acting independently with the present city council lineup.

Palmieri also hammered on the city's unpaved private roads. With about 80 miles of them, Worcester has more dangerous, pockmarked dirt roads than perhaps any large city around.

"Fix the damn roads," he said.

Driving around District 2, you'll see Palmieri’s navy blue signs dotting lawns and fences. They just say "Philip Palmieri" with a picture of his face. The signs, he says, were pulled out of storage from his last campaign. New ones with more detail are rolling out soon.

Asked if he thinks he's pulling from the same pool of voters as Mero-Carlson, especially along Shrewsbury Street, Palmieri says no. He wants to build a broader coalition as a councilor, and says he would like to work with At-Large Councilor Khrystian King, who is running for mayor this year against six-term Mayor Joseph Petty and Human Rights Commission member Guillermo Creamer.

Mero-Carlson and Palmieri met once before. In 2005, she lost to him by about 100 votes. She ran unopposed in 2017 and 2019, and defeated challenger Johanna Hampton-Dance (now a 2023 at-large candidate) in 2021 by 259 votes. She won the seat in 2015 by nearly the same margin — 264 votes.

Forget signs, forget Shrewsbury Street — Palmieri says he's out knocking doors daily, pitching voters on his brand before the Sept. 5 preliminary.

"There needs to be change on the council," he said. "People I'm talking to are concerned about making ends meet."

More in this 2023 election series:

• Edson Montero Seeks Worcester District 5 Council Seat In 2023
• Ted Kostas Among 5 Candidates Seeking Worcester District 4 Seat
• Maureen Schwab Eyes Worcester District 4 Council Seat In 2023
• Jenny Pacillo Seeks Open District 1 Worcester Council Seat In 2023
• Dave Peterson Seeks Chance At Worcester District 1 Council Seat
• Rob Bilotta Runs For Worcester District 2 Council As Fresh Face
• Worcester D5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj Back For Second Term In 2023
• Why Larry Shetler Is Running For Worcester District 1 Council Seat