Maureen Schwab Eyes Worcester District 4 Council Seat In 2023

WORCESTER, MA — On a recent morning, Worcester City Council candidate Maureen Schwab was sitting at a table in the local history section of the main Worcester Public Library — and it was her getting interviewed for a change.

Schwab hosts the WCCA program "Close To Home," a recurring program that she describes as nonpartisan featuring interviews with locals ranging from Worcester County DA Joseph Early Jr. to Linda Thayer, a vice president at the anti-abortion group Massachusetts Citizens for Life.

Schwab took over hosting the show from Molly Finn after moving back to her family triple-decker in the Green Island neighborhood about a year ago after living in the Chicago area. She's also lived in California, but says her move back to Worcester is permanent now. She works as a registered nurse at an elder care facility here.

"Home is where the heart is," she said. "The next step is St. John's Cemetery."

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.

Schwab has mounted an earnest campaign in a crowded preliminary race for the District 4 city council seat. District 4 Councilor Sarai Rivera announced early this year she would retire, and now the seat is up for grabs for the first time in two decades without an incumbent in the mix. Schwab will face four other competitors in the Sept. 5 preliminary election.

Schwab says she dislikes fundraising, and plans to donate at least 60 percent of her campaign dollars to a food bank or some other charity, and will challenge her opponents to do the same. She also doesn't plan to do much door knocking, preferring to meet people at community events.

Living in Green Island, Schwab's backyard has become the biggest development site in Worcester, with several empty blocks south of Polar Park awaiting new commercial and residential developments (with one project near completion). She says she in favor of the "more and faster" approach to development, but residential buildings have to be affordable for locals, she said. People at all income levels working at Worcester hospitals and at local colleges need to be able to afford to live here, Schwab said.

On the recent inclusionary zoning ordinance passed by the city council, Schwab says "I don't think they included enough people" — a reference to the more conservative version councilors chose to pass.

But Schwab lights up when asked about why she decided to enter the District 4 race. She and her Green Island neighbors learned late in 2022 that the city was planning a "complete streets" project along Endicott Street on the north side of Crompton Park.

The neighborhood was surprised by the plan, and Schwab says she doesn't like the idea of a bike lane along Endicott, and a plan to move to parallel parking.

"I'm saying, 'No, no, no.' We need a few more facts," she said of her reaction to plans about the project. Schwab said she and other residents pushed for a public meeting with officials on the plan. That organizing helped inspire her to run in 2023.

Trepidation about road projects that include amenities for pedestrians and bicycles has been an issue in neighboring District 5, where officials have floated a plan to reduce lanes and add bike lanes along Mill Street as part of a resurfacing project.

Schwab says she's in favor of bicycling, but thinks the city is "moving too quickly" on bike lanes and hasn't put enough thought into where they should go.

Asked what she thinks the city councilors in Worcester do — unlike other local cities, Worcester councilors don't pass legislation, and instead seek policy changes through the city manager, which he may or may not act on — Schwab said it's carry the voice of the people, and help organize them.

"You listen, you make yourself available," she said.

This is Schwab's first run for municipal office — she's run for seats on condominium associations, but said that doesn't compare to a council race. Her pitch to voters is largely focused on economic issues like being able to find a decent job and find affordable housing.

"I want to make sure you're in safe, affordable housing ... [in a city] where you're going to find a job that can afford you a decent life. That's what it's coming down to," she said.

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