Worcester Patch Candidate Profile: Robert Bilotta For District 2 City Councilor

WORCESTER, MA — The municipal election is heating up in Worcester, and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Worcester Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Robert Bilotta is running for the District 2 City Councilor position in Worcester.

Related: Worcester 2025 Election Voter Guide: Candidates, Early Voting

Campaign website

https://bilottafordistrict2.com/

Age

I turned 39 earlier this month.

Family

I come from a civically engaged Italian family. My mom Sheila and dad Bill were lifelong union members. I have a younger sister, Meredith, and became a proud uncle in 2024.

Position sought

Worcester District 2 City Council

What is your party affiliation?

Democrat

Educational background

I graduated from North High in 2004 and went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree in Communications and Urban Studies from Worcester State University in 2010.

Are you originally from Worcester?

Yes, I was born and raised in Worcester and grew up on the East Side.

What is your occupation?

I am a board member for the Center for Living & Working Inc.

Have you previously or currently been elected to an office?

No, I ran for District 2 City Council in 2023 and lost by only 160 votes.

Why are you running for the District 2 Councilor position?

I’m running for District 2 City Councilor to make Worcester safe and affordable. Worcester is growing but people are being left behind. Worcester should be a place where seniors can afford to downsize, young families can buy their first home, and residents feel safe in their neighborhoods and on the roads. I’m running to give District 2 leadership that is accountable to its residents rather than developers, to meet the urgent demand for housing that people can afford, and to ensure that our city services work for everyone.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the need for safe and affordable housing. Greedy out of town developers are making record profits, while working class families and seniors are being displaced from our community due to skyrocketing rent and property taxes. More than 60% of our housing units are renter occupied, and over half of renter households are cost burdened-spending more than 30% of their income on housing costs. Family and senior homelessness has steadily increased in Worcester over the past five years as well.

To address this, I’d work to lower property taxes for senior homeowners, expand our first time homebuyer program, and support state legislation like Bill S.1447, which enables cities and towns to stabilize rents and protect tenants. I also intend to support targeted rezoning of growth corridors, as outlined in the Worcester Now Next Plan. This would allow more housing density and mixed-used development where appropriate, which will be key in meeting the critical need for safe and affordable housing, especially in District 2.

To ensure that Worcester’s existing, aging housing stock is safe for residents I will also advocate for increased funding for housing inspections and code enforcement. Additionally, I’ll work hard to strengthen rental inspection ordinances, establish a tenant bill of rights, create an accessible tenant assistance fund, and ensure code enforcement actually holds negligent landlords accountable. Lastly, I will support common sense fire safety policies, such as ordinance MGL Chapter 148, Section 26, to save lives and minimize injuries to both residents and firefighters.

What sets you apart from other candidates seeking this position?

What sets me apart from other candidates seeking this position is that I am not accepting any campaign donations from developers or corporations, meaning I will be accountable to working class families, not special interests.

Additionally, I supported the passage of inclusionary zoning with stricter affordability requirements, a rental registry to protect renters and streamline the work of our hardworking inspectional services staff, and a fire safety ordinance backed by the Worcester Fire Chief and Massachusetts State Fire Marshal. I also petitioned the city council to expand the senior homeowner tax exemption by raising income and asset limits, allowing more senior homeowners to qualify. My opponent has voted to oppose, to limit, or to file (AKA throw out) all of these common sense measures for more safe and affordable housing.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

In addition to safe and affordable housing, I intend to address neighborhood and road safety, quality of life and city services, and support our Worcester Public Schools and our local small businesses.

How does your experience prepare you for success in this position?

As a housing and disability rights advocate, I have extensive experience in coalition building, organizing, and outreach, as well as knowledge of state and local programs and private and nonprofit organizations. I intend to explore more public-private partnerships and engage with our state delegation to bring resources and solutions to Worcester. At its core, I believe the role of a councilor is to advocate for constituents. I intend to advocate locally and regionally for Worcester residents.

I started Friends of Lake Park, served on the Worcester Access Advisory Commission, chaired the Worcester Together Affordable Housing Coalition and currently serve on the Human Rights Commission. As a housing advocate, I led the effort to create an accessible affordable housing provision for the Worcester Affordable Housing Trust Fund, which has led to the development of over 70 affordable accessible apartments. As a member of the Human Rights Commission and Access Advisory Board, I’ve worked with the City Manager’s Office, the Worcester Police Department, community organizations, and Worcester residents to further safety, accountability, accessibility, and civil rights.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself?

With the help of amazing volunteers, my campaign team and I have knocked on the doors of over 5,000 District 2 residents and made 5,000 phone calls so far this election cycle. I am committed to continuing to be accessible to residents, listening to your needs, and representing you, not special interests. I humbly ask for your vote to be your District 2 City Councilor on or before Tuesday, November 4th.

See Other Candidate Profiles:

• Jermoh Kamara For City Councilor At-Large
• Cayden Davis For City Councilor At-Large
• Owura Sarkodieh For Mayor, City Councilor At-Large
• Jessica Pepple For City Councilor At-Large
• Keith Linhares For District 1 City Councilor
• Jose Rivera For District 5 City Councilor
• Sue Mailman For School Committee At-Large
• Ted Kostas For District 4 City Councilor