Lynn City Council Candidate Q & A: Coco Alinsug (Ward 3)

In this year's Lynn municipal election, Ward 3 voters will have the choice between two candidates to represent them on the city council. With current Ward 3 City Councilor Darren Cyr running for mayor, that choice will be among newcomers seeking the city council seat. Coco Alinsug is one candidate running for Ward 3 City Councilor. Alinsug is originally from the Philippines, having moved to the United States in 1996. Currently, he works as an outreach and enrollment manager at Fenway Health, New England's leading primary health center for the lesbian and gay community. 

I chatted with Alinsug to learn more about his vision for Lynn and candidacy for Lynn City Council. 

Thanks for chatting with me, Coco! You are running for Ward 3 City Councilor; why did you make the decision to run for City Council this year? 

Politics is in my blood, I grew up surrounded with politics and politicians. I still remember the words my dad said to me when I left the Philippines to come to America in 1996: “I was hoping you would follow in my footsteps and enter politics.” My dad, Ember Alinsug, is a former Councilor and Vice-Mayor of Consolacion, the biggest town in the province of Cebu, Philippines. I come from five generations of public servants. Not just my dad, but my grandparents, great grandparents, and great-great grandparents all held public office. In fact, my grandmother, Felisa, was the first woman Councilor of Consolacion in 1950. At that time, it was almost unheard of for a woman to be involved in politics.I am proud to now be able to tell my dad that his son is continuing the family legacy of service. I might not be in the Philippines now but I am continuing that legacy in a country halfway around the world, a country I now call home. My environment has changed but my heart and dedication to serve has not. I inherited this dedication from my dad, my grandmother, and my forefathers who paved the way for me to enter politics. Since I moved to Lynn I have worked and served this city in different capacities. I decided to run for City Councilor this year because I want to continue that and expand my service not only to my ward but for the whole city.

Tell us a little bit about how your campaign has been going thus far. How have you been connecting with Ward 3 voters? 

Eighteen years ago, when I moved to Lynn, I moved to the Goldfish Pond area of Ward 3, I immediately volunteered my time with the neighborhood association, and I have been doing so even until now wherein I sit as a Board of Director of the Goldfish Pond Association. The reason why I’m sharing this story is because it became easy for me to connect with my neighbors and of the whole of the ward. Since I made the announcement to run in March, I have visited all the areas of Ward 3 at least twice already and am looking to do more. I am a firm believer that direct conversation with your constituents is where you get to have a feel of all the needs of the ward and its residents. 

As you speak with Ward 3 residents, what have you found to be the most common concerns? Which of these issues would you prioritize if elected to the City Council? 

I have a lot of beautiful and informative conversations with my neighbors and fellow Ward 3 residents, based on my conversations with them, I listed my visions and plans for the ward and the city based on the feedback I gathered from them, which includes the following: 

 

BRING CITY HALL TO WARD 3 CONSTITUENTS:

• Provide regular updates to constituents via newsletters and social media outlets
• Conduct semi-annual ward meetings in rotating precincts to discuss concerns, and update constituents about current city projects
• Appoint Precinct Captains to monitor and respond rapidly to the specific needs of each precinct
• Hire a volunteer intern to interact with City Hall as our liaison officer for Ward 3 

WARD 3 INITIATIVES:

• Assess flooding problems in areas of Ward 3, and work toward a solution to water quality issues at King’s Beach
• Improve safety: better lighting, clearing blocked traffic signage, working toward improved street maintenance
• Promote neighborhood initiatives and share best practices with all areas of Ward 3
• Work toward rehabilitation of Kiley Park, Clark Park, Goldfish Pond, and other areas
• Promote and participate in regular Ward 3 cleanups

SUPPORT CITY INITIATIVES:

• Work with the objective of not raising property taxes in the near future
• Work with city and state officials to help create more affordable housing for seniors, veterans, lower-income residents, and municipal employees
• Strongly support the Housing Lynn Plan
• Explore the use of additional grant writers to find new revenue sources for the city
• Empower youth, senior citizens, and others to help each of them achieve his/her fullest potential, regardless of age or ability

 

Major topics of discussion this year more broadly across the city center around housing, development and gentrification. On your website, you definitively state that you strongly support the Lynn Housing Plan. Why specifically do you support the Plan? 

It’s long overdue; this issue hits close to home. When I moved to this country, I too had my own challenges in assimilating to my new society. I used to experience homelessness and know how it feels to sleep in your car for months because I have no place to go to. It’s hard and you lose your dignity. I will work my very best to make sure that everyone and no one is left behind, we need to have this issue as a priority.

Related, while there has been a lot of focus on development as an avenue toward creating a population that can support downtown businesses, there has been less focus on local job creation. What are your thoughts on improving employment opportunities for Lynn residents? 

I am a listener and a team player. I need to bring everyone to the table to have a conversation on how to move our city forward and fix our problems as soon as possible, which includes unemployment. We need to bring businesses, community advocates, local officials to the table and create a master plan on how to address this. 

Finally, as we move toward the primary and November general election, why should Ward 3 voters consider your candidacy for City Council? What makes you uniquely qualified to represent Ward 3? 

If elected, I will be the first Filipino-American City Councilor in New England and the first out LGBT City Councilor. There’s a lot of pressure but pressure and challenges is what makes me effective as a leader. I am a proven and effective worker locally and internationally. I encourage you to check my website at www.cocoalinsug.com to learn more about me. For all Ward 3 residents, we will do this TOGETHER!!!