10 Questions For Dave Peterson, 2023 Worcester Council Candidate

WORCESTER, MA — For the first time in years, every single city council election in Worcester this year is competitive, meaning every incumbent (or multiple incumbents in the case of the at-large race) is facing a challenger in 2023.

Voters in Worcester will go to the polls Nov. 7 to elect the next slate of councilors for the coming two-year term. To help voters make their decisions, Worcester Patch sent 10 questions to each candidate running for city council this year, including both incumbents and challengers. We'll publish them ahead of Election Day as candidates return them.

Candidate Dave Peterson is running in his first city council race in 2023 for the District 1 seat that Councilor Sean Rose is leaving. Peterson is the general manager of the Worcester Bravehearts baseball team. Here's how he answered our questionnaire:

What is the main job of a city councilor in Worcester?

I believe the public relies on City Councilors to be a conduit for them to have voices within City Hall. City Councilors legislate to address the concerns brought to them by the residents, but they also should be proactively identifying deficiencies within the city before those deficiencies become major problems. My approach will be one of collaboration with residents and property owners in District 1, and I look forward to getting feedback from all constituents through neighborhood meetings, online polls, and public conversations. If the people in the District don’t believe they have anyone in City Hall who wants to listen, then it hurts the city’s ability to keep residents here long-term.

The council in 2022 began a national search for a new city manager, but then stopped to hire Eric Batista. What are your thoughts on the city manager hiring process both recently and in general?

I don’t mind the recent process to hire Eric Batista, though I have known Mr. Batista for ten years and always thought he’d be a solid fit for the job. I can understand the viewpoint of residents who want the city to produce a nationwide search for these leadership positions - as they successfully completed in the hiring of Superintendent Monarrez. Nationwide searches in some cases are prudent, but they become very costly, are more time-consuming, and not always necessary. I’ve answered this question posed to me by many of my colleagues because I have made it a point to focus on guiding and training inexperienced staff members to one day take over for me in my role in private industry. I feel there can be similarities in the public sector. If the overwhelming majority of stakeholders truly believe there is an honest, knowledgable, practical internal candidate who can still generate fresh ideas for Worcester, then I would rather support the candidacy of someone who has dedicated over ten years of service to the city than someone from outside. That internal candidate already has a keen understanding of the issues the city faces and relationships with the key stakeholders who can help to address those issues quickly.

If you could pick three goals for Batista to work toward in the coming council term, what would they be?

1. Cut the number of opioid-related deaths in half. Worcester experienced a 36% increase in fatal overdoses in 2022, and Massachusetts has seen the number of opioid deaths quadruple since 2010. With investments in access to emergency services, wider distribution of NARCAN Nasal Spray, and more fentanyl testing, we can decrease the number of deaths while we seek to direct people to help and cut off the supply of these drugs into our city.
2. Keep the city's Bond Rating at AA. As we seek to invest in a $500M project at Burncoat Jr/High School, we will need to keep this rating high to attain more favorable interest rates.
3. Lower our number of unhoused to a point where it can become an example for other cities to follow. More affordable housing, micro-housing, and support services.

This summer, Batista told councilors he was declining to act on an order they voted affirmatively on (crisis pregnancy centers). Do you think that’s an appropriate response, why or why not?

While I think Councilor Nguyen had every right to ask for an update to the progress of the draft ordinance requested, I would've preferred that they had worked out this legislative request behind closed doors. I think Eric Batista acted in the best interests of the city on this one. He is correct when he says that he has an obligation to protect the city from lawsuits, and we've seen our share of those over the past few years. Councilor Nguyen asks, “Is it at the discretion of the City Manager to decide to not follow the political will of the Council?” Yes, yes it is. That's what the Plan E form of government delivers. And if the majority of City Council doesn't like the way the City Manager decides not to follow the political will of the Council, then the City Council can choose not to renew his contract. Or we can move toward a Plan B form of government. Not for nothing, but does Clearway Clinic even pay taxes in this city? It's listed as a 501(c)(3) public charity. If they paid taxes, maybe there would be money to hire the attorneys to defend the city against First Amendment lawsuits.

Some city council subcommittees meet infrequently, sometimes only a few times a year. Do you think subcommittees should have a fixed schedule so they have a minimum number of meetings per year?

Yes. It’s like this on every board or committee I’ve ever been a part of. I don’t see why subcommittees wouldn’t have a fixed schedule along with deadlines for residents to submit agenda items for those meetings.

Serious allegations about the conduct of the former police chief were recently made public in news reports. Do you think councilors should have an oversight role when serious allegations are made against city employees?

No. Councilors are not judges, mediators, or arbitrators. It’s best if our elected officials stay out of these types of issues when serious allegations are made against city employees. I think City Councilors should continue to advocate for transparency and fairness when these types of allegations are made. However, let’s face it - the fractured nature of politics would pit councilors against each other as some line up to support the person facing the allegations and others support the person making them. It’s not productive for our city. Leave this to our talented Human Resources Department.

Homelessness is on the rise in Worcester. The city has pursued a policy of sweeping camps, and we’re heading into the cold weather season with a shortage of temporary shelter beds. What should Worcester do about this issue in the short and long term?

In the short term, we've got to get the Blessed Sacrament shelter open, consider utilizing additional buildings like 241 Southbridge Street, and look for creative solutions like pop up trailers with propane heat for the winter. None of it is obviously ideal, but if the city truly wants to house over 200 individuals for whom we have no room, then there needs to be some critical thinking happening now. In the long term, we need to focus heavily on providing rehabilitation services for those willing to take help. We need to attract developers who are interested in building affordable housing, such as endowments, so these people can get back on their feet. And quite frankly, we need to provide food, clothing, gift cards, baby supplies and support services to those we encounter on the street. Not money. The money too often is spent in places that perpetuate the problem.

Councilors can use personal privilege to hold items before a meeting, delaying action for a week or longer. Do you think councilors should disclose why they’re holding items before doing so, why or why not?

Sure. It keeps everyone honest and lessens the opportunity to play political games on the floor of City Council. I'm all for full transparency.

There are many large, blighted parcels around Worcester, with the former Big D supermarket perhaps the most recognizable. Would you support a new tax on blighted parcels to ensure property owners don’t let them sit for long periods?

Absolutely. My pro-business approach to help commercial property & business owners in the city will include efforts to make Worcester more attractive to small business owners. While we seek to lower the commercial tax rate and bring back the small business liaison retention program, in return we will also ask our commercial property owners to clean up their property better.

What’s one thing you think you want to achieve as a city councilor if elected?

I'd love to develop a system by which homeowners living on private roads in this city can pool funds for road repairs. Many of the private roads here in the city are in a state of disrepair - some of them like Beale St. don't even seem passable by emergency vehicles. These homeowners are personally responsible for repairs to the road, or they can choose to have the city pave the road for somewhere near $160 per linear foot. With no system in place to put aside money to repair this crumbling infrastructure, these homeowners should either benefit from a lower tax rate (like Paxton does) or have a portion of their current tax payments put into a Neighborhood Escrow Account that will fund future repairs in that neighborhood. It's smart, it's achievable, and it's something I look forward to getting done.

More profiles in this series:

• Jose Rivera, District 5
• Thu Nguyen, At-Large
• Feanna Jattan-Singh, District 3
• Etel Haxhiaj, District 5
• George Russell, District 3
• Johanna Hampton-Dance, At-Large