In this September's municipal primary, three candidates are vying for the Lynn mayoral seat and two will move forward to the November general election. Two-term School Committee member Michael Satterwhite is one of those three candidates running for mayor this fall. Satterwhite is a lawyer who received a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts - Lowell and a law degree from the Massachusetts School of Law. In addition to his legal career as owner of the Satterwhite Law Firm, he has also worked with several community organizations including the North Shore Latino Business Association, the Haven Project and Lynn Community Connections.
I chatted with Michael regarding his candidacy for Mayor.
Thanks for chatting with me, Michael! You’ve been serving on the Lynn School Committee for four years; why did you make the decision to run for Mayor this year?
I appreciate the chance to chat. I am seeking the office because our city needs a visionary, someone who will work with every resident, every ward and every business to make Lynn better. There are trials and tribulations for everyone, some more than others, but I am proud to have come from Lynn and I would not change a minute of it because the struggle and hunger motivated me to be the man I am today. COVID-19 enhanced and brought to light many of the inequities most of us already knew existed. Lynn is set to get a substantial amount of federal funding; enough to bring real positive change to our City if we have the right leader in place. I would like to change these inequities for our current residents and future generations. Now is the time for enhancing the voices of the people that have been silent for too long and building a Lynn that is equitable for all residents and businesses. I have been in leadership roles over my career and I am the only small business owner running; I have the experience to get this very important job done. Our City has tremendous potential, I’ll listen to ideas from any source, and look to break down any barriers that impact the growth our City truly deserves.
Obviously, the pandemic has been a major issue globally but specifically in the City of Lynn where over 17,000 residents have been diagnosed with the virus. If elected Mayor, what would be your first steps in helping Lynn through the recovery process?
Lynn’s total COVID-19 cases are about 20% of our population. As of June 9th, 48,707 Lynn residents are fully vaccinated and 9,045 are partially vaccinated. The first thing we have to do is give our businesses and residents a voice. Limited data is shared with the general public as to what actions the City took that succeeded or failed. Mental health is the first step in recovery and assuring that our residents have the information and the support needed to recover alongside the economy. Contact tracing was a vital component to stop the spread, but it was also an opportunity to see the quality of life our residents have and the obstacles they face. Education is vital and Lynn Public Schools play an important role in providing children with a sense of stability and normalcy and ensuring children have a routine and are emotionally supported to cope with a changing situation. The changes that worked for local businesses that should remain in place and the impact of employment for our residents are all
data and information we should be building upon.
Related to the pandemic, you list ‘strengthening health and wellness’ as one of your concerns on your website. How has the last year informed your perspective on public health in general but also what your approach to this issue would be as a public servant?
Strengthening health and wellness is seen as a social concern, but they significantly impact our workforce readiness and the accessibility of our residents. Strengthening the health and wellness of our residents is vital in closing the gap between where Lynn is now, and where we want to be. We made tremendous progress working within the community to get more than 50% of our population vaccinated, however, we have to continue working on our social support systems to develop a coordinated, accessible, responsible and caring network, with enhanced leadership, partnerships, capacity and services, and a focus on identified community priorities. This includes working on mental health, substance abuse and the violence that our City, like many others, face. We have to perfect our roadmap to success, which means making adjustments and using the progress we made on COVID to further recover from the other challenges our City faces.
As Mayor I will serve every resident, every ward, and every business. We as a City should not be picking who succeeds and who doesn’t. We have real data to see where the underserved communities are. Every resident and business should have expectations from City leaders and that includes work on accessibility, affordability and activities. Everyday as your Mayor, I would work to improve accessibility in our City. Accessibility is vital for our underserved residents, such as our seniors, youth and families. Accessibility to education, housing, employment, transportation, voting and technology are all important to the success of our City. We can best serve our underserved communities by giving them a voice and a seat at the decision making table.
Tell us a little bit about your plan to minimize homelessness and food insecurity. How can relationships between the City and existing community programs and organizations be strengthened in order to address these issues?
I am the only candidate that has been homelessness and faced food insecurity. I grew up in poverty and suffered homelessness at the age of 16. My life has been committed to working to minimize homelessness and food insecurity in our City. I serve on the Board for Good Hope and several years ago we brought a food bank to Lynn Community Connections Coalition (I serve on this Board). I also serve on the Board for the Haven Project which provides age appropriate services to our growing, vulnerable 17-24 year old homeless young adult population. I have volunteered with My Brother’s Table for over two decades. I have experience connecting our existing community programs over the last decade to strengthen the reach and impact on homelessness and food insecurity in our City. As Mayor, I will continue working with our 300+ nonprofits in the City to assure we are reaching and impacting our most vulnerable communities.
Discussion around public safety is often limited to conversations around policing. From your perspective, in thinking about a holistic view of public safety, what would be your approach to addressing this issue?
As Mayor, I will ensure that our City serves every resident, every ward, and every business. This includes all aspects of public safety and assuring that our public safety is community facing. Collaboration between the police and the community can help identify and solve our community problems. This will take involvement from every segment of the community. As Mayor, I will facilitate the conversation. We also have to focus on long-term initiatives that will address the root causes of crime and violence in our City. The 2020 Charles E. Shannon Community Safety Initiative on Lynn data assessed our Youth Risk to be at 43% Moderate Risk and 46% High Risk. The Community Risk Factors used for this data, included Lynn Population that lives in poverty (almost double the Massachusetts’ average), economically disadvantaged (almost double the Massachusetts’ average), and high school dropout rate (more than double the Massachusetts’ average). Working every day as Mayor on accessibility, affordability and activities would be a vital approach to addressing public safety.
Finally, what skills and experiences make you most suited for the role of Mayor? Why should Lynn residents consider your candidacy for the position this fall?
I am the only candidate that has the knowledge and experience to meet the needs of all of us here in the City of Lynn. I’ve been doing it. My work will always involve working to improve accessibility, affordability and activities for our communities. I have been tested and I am ready to lead on day one.
I am the only candidate to own successful small businesses in Lynn for the past 15 years. In addition to opening and successfully running two businesses here in Lynn (with additional locations in Revere and South Lee, Massachusetts), I worked as a Managing Attorney and also managed within other companies. Having experience managing operations and processes is vital for the success of our City.
I am the only candidate that is a conciliator and mediator. I have spent countless hours volunteering within Lynn District Court and other departments of the Massachusetts Trial Court doing conflict resolution. Having a Mayor that listens and provides opportunities for our community to speak up, will help business owners and the public solve common problems, together. Having experience balancing the needs of our city's residents and businesses with our desired growth is vital for the success of our City.
In all of my roles during the past 18 years, I have had a part in the budget process. During my time on the School Committee, I fought to make the budget process within Lynn Public Schools more equitable and that is now the process. Having experience managing a budget and making the process more equitable is vital for the success of our City.
I have spent most of my life working on the basic needs of our community (families, seniors and youth), employment, housing, education, health, and community engagement and I plan on doing this every day as your Mayor.
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For more information on Satterwhite: masforlynn.com
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