Showing posts with label Councilor At-Large. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Councilor At-Large. Show all posts

Monday, July 26, 2021

Councilor At-Large Candidate Q & A: Nicole McClain

Along with the mayoral race, Lynn voters will also have the opportunity to elect members of the City Council and School Committee this fall. Currently, there are seven candidates running for four Councilor At-Large seats on the City Council.

Nicole McClain is one of the seven candidates on the ballot this fall. McClain is a Army National Guard veteran who previously deployed to Iraq and later earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood education. In addition to being a childcare provider, she serves on the Essex County Commission on the Status of Women, Lynn Human Rights Commission, and the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition. 



McClain responded to a few questions regarding her candidacy for Lynn City Council.


Thanks for chatting with me, Nicole! You are running for Councilor At-Large; why did you make the decision to run for City Council this year?


I am running this year because I see a need that is not being filled by our local government. Community leaders petitioned our local government during the year 2020 to address racial inequities and we were not met with opposition. They were willing to speak with us but that is all they wanted to do. A lack of knowledge about the issues of their constituents of color was apparent and I want to fill the need. I do not want to take away from those already receiving great representation. I want to make sure we all are being represented and considered by our local government.


While many have begun to engage in more activities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftermath of the last year will still need to be addressed in an ongoing manner. If elected to City Council, what issues would you bring to the forefront in terms of the recovery process?


As Councilor At Large I would address the impact COVID has had on our small business owners. I have been looking into state grants and resources available to assist in financial recovery for small business, our seniors and our youth. 


On your website, housing is listed as one of your key issues. Displacement is one facet of this issue but also the eviction crisis and housing insecurity that may be the result of pandemic-related financial difficulties. What is your stance on the housing issue in Lynn? How would you propose addressing this issue?


It is obvious that we are in a housing crisis in our city. Lynn is composed of moderate and low income residents. Housing has become unaffordable for a lot of us. We need current developers and future developers to reinvest in our city. As Councilor At Large I would be the voice advocating for a  percentage of units in these developments to be affordable. I would be advocating for the housing Lynn plan to be implemented. The housing Lynn plan was developed over the year 2020. It is a first step to addressing the housing issues in our city. https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/housing-lynn/


On your campaign website, you also list youth development as another issue. What specific programming or initiatives do you have in mind?


I would implement visits with the local government for a day. Visits to GE. These programs would be for our High School students to give them exposure to positions that they can possibly hold upon graduating. This is an effort to retain our talented youth. Mentoring, financial literacy, resume writing and basic skills that help with transitioning into adulthood are initiatives I would focus on making available to our youth. 


How do you think investing in youth could help to curb violence in our community?


Investing in youth will give some of them a sense of purpose and expose them to another avenue to success. These programs will not completely stop all of our youth from turning to the streets but the hope is to expose as many young Lynn residents as we can to different avenues that will lead them to be productive citizens of society.


You talk about ensuring that the diverse needs of our community are considered during decision-making processes. What populations or areas of the city do you see as currently being underserved and in need of greater representation?


I grew up in areas of Lynn that were seldom or never visited by local government officials. Timson St. in Ward 3, Marian Gardens in Ward 6, Apple St. in Ward 4. These are places I lived. There are many areas of our city and many cultures that are in need of help. As Councilor At Large I am not trying to narrow it down to certain places and people. I am trying to listen and meet the needs of the community as much as I can. That is why a connection with local community organizations is so important. Our local community organizations are boots on the ground. They know our community well and local government needs to partner with them to make better informed decisions. 


Finally, what skills and experiences make you most suited for the City Council?


I have already proven my ability to work with local government and as a part of a team.Through working as a part of the Lynn Racial Justice Coalition Body Worn Cameras are used by our police department. A Diversity Equity and Inclusion officer has joined Lynn City Hall, and an Unarmed Crisis Response team is being formed to reduce the use of lethal force in our city. I am a community leader. I founded North Shore Juneteenth Association INc. an organization that started in 2017 and is still going strong. This org educates our community on the positive contributions of Black Americans in the U.S. and spreads the word about the Juneteenth holiday. I have been a part of change and I feel I can do even more as a member of the Council. 


 Why should Lynn residents consider your candidacy for the position this fall?


I want to bring local government and local organizations together to create a cutting edge municipality that includes all of Lynn's residents. 


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For more information on McClain: www.nicoleforlynn.com

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Monday, October 30, 2017

2017 Lynn Municipal Election Rundown

2017 Municipal Debates



2017 Q&As

Councilor At-Large
School Committee

Councilor At-Large
School Committee


To confirm your specific polling location, see: 


Don't forget to vote on Tuesday, November 7th!
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Saturday, October 21, 2017

Lynn Councilor At-Large 2017 Q & A: Brian LaPierre

Brian LaPierre currently serves on the Lynn City Council and is running for re-election in this year's municipal race. LaPierre is among the eight candidates running for the four councilor at-large seats. 


 One of the major issues in the forefront during this year's election is the city budget with many often calling for "an increased commercial base." What specific steps do you think Lynn should take in order to attract new business? Do you believe that TIFs (tax increment financing) make strategic as well as financial sense in this regard?

I want to lead the charge in bringing new development, both residential and commercial to Lynn and that is why I am advocating for Amazon to locate their headquarters here in Lynn. We need to develop Lynn’s waterfront and have taken the necessary steps through rezoning and ridding the powerlines for a vision that includes retail, market rate housing, restaurants and a publicly accessed boardwalk along the Lynnway. On TIFs, sometimes they are necessary and sometimes they are not. I have only voted on one so far in my two years on the council and that was for Beacon Chevrolet site that will yield a new infusion of over $50 million dollars in revenue over the next 30 years. The prior council had to do a TIF with Market Basket or they simply would not have located in Lynn, in exchange, we got 86% of the local workforce to be from Lynn. I will pledge to use TIF powers strategically and on a need by need case in the future, realizing that the major priority right now is to grow our commercial and residential tax bases respectively through innovative jobs, hi-tech smart growth and in demand manufacturing high wage jobs.


Another pertinent topic is the increase in violent crime this year. In what concrete ways do you think this could  be addressed?

We need to go back to basics on crime and public safety as a whole and work to support our uniformed police, fire and EMT’s. We need to be the eyes and ears of our neighborhoods again. We have to work in conjunction with our local law enforcement to rid our neighborhoods of drug houses, prostitution, blighted, unkempt, homes and the like. We should be obtaining grants and making use of both public and private funds to equip the Downtown and major intersections with cameras and surveillance. We also need to enact the app called Nextdoor so that neighbors can anonymously report crimes as they happen to local police to investigate. They can also report violation to the local parking, DPW and inspectional services departments for concerns around, noise, loud music, trash, illegal dumping, speed, drug trafficking, prostitution, and other home violations.

What do you believe is the main issue that, if addressed, would have the most positive effect on the city of Lynn?

It’s about job creation and attracting small to medium size businesses to Lynn. We have the talented workforce of over 90,000 smart capable and willing residents ready to work and make a good living for families to work, play, and go to school here. We need to advance our citizenry by creating the skillful jobs that are both high wage and high skilled. We need to continue to foster a training curriculum that is cutting edge in our schools so that Lynners have the skills they need to compete in this fast changing, global economy. Lynn is up to the task and is labor ready. We must do better and ask ourselves on Amazon for example, why not us? That will be a regional game changer for the entire Northshore and beyond, providing upward to 50,000 at very high and competitive salaries for our residents and others across this region.


Obviously, the city is made up of people from a variety of ethnic/racial backgrounds, socioeconomic classes and of all ages. Do you think the city's governing bodies are currently overall being responsive to the needs of its diverse constituency? 

I recognize that there is much more to be done in this area. I am proud to have supported many board appointments of people of color with very diverse backgrounds that want to serve our city in many capacities. I am also very proud to have advocated for the hiring of a bilingual employee for the council office last year. We need to do more to attract candidates of different cultural backgrounds to our teaching, policing, firefighting and city hall professions. I am a firm believer of equality, celebrating a diverse workforce and responding the same way to constituent issues and concerns, regardless of race, religion, orientation etc. I will continue to promote those values not at city hall but in our community at large.

Why should Lynn residents consider re-electing you to the City Council?

Well, I respectfully ask for one of your four votes for Councilor at Large because although we have done a lot in two years, we still have more work to do. I am proud that I have responded to over 1,000 constituent requests during my first term in office, I am proud of the work I have done in our community around making streets cleaner and our neighborhoods safer. We have seen over 30 new businesses open in the past 2 years, including the new Market Basket, which employs over 400 employees (86% are Lynn residents). We have a strong, collaborative, hard-working, city council that works well together. I want to continue to be a part of Lynn’s renaissance in the areas of arts and culture, business development, attractive places to live, work and raise a family. Please consider me for one of your four votes on Tuesday November 7th. 

Thank you. Brian LaPierre, Lynn City Council

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Thursday, September 14, 2017

Lynn Councilor At-Large 2017 Q & A: Jaime Figueroa

Jaime Figueroa is one of eight candidates running for Councilor At-Large in this year's Lynn municipal election. Here he answers some questions about some of the pressing issues facing the city. 


 One of the major issues in the forefront during this year’s election is the current state of the city’s finances. What is your assessment of Lynn’s financial health in terms of the causes but also what should be done to address the issue?
I believe we can’t blame one administration for the current state of our finances. This is due to several years of incompetence and poor management. To address the issue, I would propose a comprehensive audit of every department and agency in the City. The next step would be to sit with every department head or team and adjust their budgets to fund what is needed, not what is wanted.


In terms of the budget, people often call for “an increased commercial base.” How specifically do you think Lynn should go about actually bringing in new businesses? Do you believe that TIFs (tax increment financing) make smart strategic as well as financial sense in this regard?
I believe the major problem is the selling off of our public buildings. It does not benefit the City - it's just a quick cash influx with no long-term gains. What we should be doing is renovating some of these buildings into shared-work spaces and invite start-ups being priced out of Boston, Cambridge and Somerville to make their home in Lynn. We are the biggest city on the North Shore and we should be the technological hub of the North Shore. Other buildings like the old Marshall Middle School, should have been kept by the city. The city should have put out an RFP for a 40-50-year lease and rights to build to the current developer. That way we keep the land, which will appreciate, thereby growing our net worth as a city and helping to grow our bond rating.


 Another pertinent topic is the increase in violent crime as well as opioid overdoses in the first half of this year. Do you think this issue has been addressed appropriately thus far? Why or why not?

No. We need more preventative programs in place to deter people from engaging in these types of activities. Just increasing funding for the police does not guarantee a safer community. We must be proactive in our pursuit to change and stop violence and drug activity in our community. We need our community to actively participate with local officials to start changing the way we address these problems.


If you had to name three things that had to be included in Lynn’s ‘capital improvement plan,’ what would they be and why?

a. Increase tax revenue by not selling off public property and instead investing in these properties. We should be renovating some spaces for startups being priced out of Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge and help them to call Lynn their home.

b. We should be thinking about ways to expand our creative economy. We are the biggest city on the North Shore and should be the technological hub of the North Shore. We should be investing in shared, Incubator, and maker spaces in our city. We should have a waterfront full of businesses that represent innovation and technological advancements.

c. Lastly, we need a full-time city planning department to assist the city with its new vision. Also, a grant writing department to supplement city budget shortfalls.


Why should Lynn residents consider voting for you to City Council as Councilor At-Large?

The next City Councilor At-Large needs to possess innovative thinking to move this city forward. The next councilor should be willing to sit with other councilors in municipalities that have turned their city around, such as Salem, Somerville, Cambridge, etc. Your next councilor needs to be willing to protect and advocate for maintaining our cultural diversity. I believe I possess these characteristics and I’m willing to work tirelessly and full time for all the people in the city of Lynn.


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Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Lynn Councilor At-Large Candidate Rundown

General


Buzzy Barton



Dan Cahill



Brian LaPierre


Hong Net



Tim Phelan




 Rick Starbard
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Monday, August 10, 2015

Councilor At-Large 2015 Q & A: Rick Starbard

Earlier this year, current Lynn School Committee member Rick Starbard announced that he was not seeking re-election and would instead run for Councilor At-Large in this year's municipal election. Here, Starbard answers a few questions regarding his candidacy for City Council.


Why are you running for Councilor At-Large? 

I guess my one word answer would be “perspective”. I have never aspired to be a “politician”. When I was leaving my teaching position at Lynn Tech after thirteen years to return to my business following a major expansion, there were decisions being made by schools administration and the school committee that negatively impacted that school that neither I nor my colleagues could comprehend. I began to look of the makeup of administration and the school committee and noticed that none had any technical education experience and that there were no LPS parents on the school committee. I felt that my perspective in both of those areas would have a positive impact, and I would like to think that after six years as a member of the school committee, it has. 

During my time on the school committee, I had an inside view of many of the challenges that the city is facing. We have crumbling schools because we kicked the can on school replacement for close to twenty years, our challenges trying to meet school funding mandates and our inability to fund public safety and public works at proper levels while struggling to meet those mandates. The only way out of this is to raise the amount of cash that flows into the city’s coffers. This cannot be accomplished by raising taxes as our tax rates already place us at a competitive disadvantage. This has to come from investment with the emphasis on commercial investment.  

I have always felt that people look to invest in Lynn at the crest of economic recoveries when other urban area real estate values are off the charts. The problem is that the last two times that this happened, the bottom fell out of the economy and these developments failed to reach their potential. I feel that Lynn is now better poised than it has ever been to catch this economic wave closer to the beginning than at the top and with so much available space, it is almost a blank canvas. As we start to paint the next picture of development on that canvas, I think that we need to have at least some members of the council that have business and commercial property owner experience, which I have had for over thirty years. Once again, I feel that my unique perspective through many years of experience will help me make a positive impact as an At-Large member of the Lynn City Council.



What qualifications, skills and/or experiences would you bring to the Lynn City Council, if elected?



I have owned my own business since I was nineteen years old. During that time I have learned a great deal through formal training and the school of hard knocks. Through the growth of my company I have been able to acquire commercial property to help stabilize my growth and overall security for my company and family. I think that business people think a little differently when it comes to making solid financial decisions. When making financial decisions, we must look at the overall return on investment and keep in mind that we must be good stewards of taxpayer money that had been entrusted to us. Business people also know that we grow by recognizing our competition as well as constantly analyzing, learning from and doing all that we can to stay ahead of our competition. In our case, our competition is the cities and towns around us. We need to have best practices in place to do all that we can to show why Lynn is a better place to live, play and do business in than our competition.

In business, I have learned a great deal from my colleagues and have always felt the need to give back to my industry to keep it growing and to help myself and my colleagues that run pro-active businesses stay at the top of an ever changing automotive industry. This involvement has instilled great knowledge of leadership qualities in me. I have been involved in almost every level of my trade organizations. I have served many years as President of the leading national and state automotive trade associations as well as helping to drive many local and national industry initiatives. I hold most of the top national industry certifications and my business is recognized in being in the top 5% of my industry nationally. I was also recently appointed by Governor Baker to the state’s Auto Damage Appraisers Licensing Board overseeing state regulations that govern the handling of every auto insurance claim in Massachusetts. I am also a proud member of the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce and count on being a liaison between our business owners and the city of Lynn.

My close to twenty years of experience in Lynn Public Schools as a teacher and school committee member has given me the tremendous opportunity to meet, educate and work with many of our youth and the hard working folks that keep Lynn schools at the top of our urban areas. My unique perspective serving in these roles has also shown me the needs of our schools both with helping to meet the ever-changing challenges that our staff faces every day, to providing our students clean, safe and modern educational facilities in which to learn. From the time that we were awarded a new Marshall Middle School, I was a leader in the initiative to support the bond vote to help fund Lynn’s portion of the cost. With Pickering now in the pipeline for replacement, I plan on once again playing an active role in helping to drive that effort. I have walked Lt. Governor Polito through some of our schools that are in most need of replacement. I plan to continue to continue to work with the new school committee and our leaders in Boston to make sure that we no longer “kick the can” on our school’s needs.

I am a supporter and participant in many Lynn based organizations including serving as President of LYSOA (Lynn Youth Street Outreach Advocacy). I have made it a practice of returning the vast majority of money that I am given as a stipend for serving as a school committee member back to Lynn based organizations and I expect to continue as a member of the city council.


In your opinion, in what area(s) is Lynn excelling and in what area(s) is Lynn in most need of improvement?

I think that Lynn is making great strides in improving the downtown Lynn area. Much of this was started by development that has brought many young downtown buyers of condominiums. This began a perfect storm a few years back as these folks were looking at ways to make the downtown a better place to live and play as well as having a new, young, energetic city councilor that helped drive their efforts in a manner that had many longtime Lynn naysayers, (myself included), now regularly attending events that are taking place downtown. I also think that the opening of new restaurants and the expansion of entertainment at City Hall is also bringing not only Lynn folks into the center of the city but many people are coming from neighboring communities into Lynn to enjoy not only downtown but to enjoy affordable family entertainment at the Navigators games, Lynn Woods and the shoreline. I also think that the Lynn Police has done an outstanding job working with all available resources to greatly reduce the city’s gang population and are working diligently to make our streets safer than they were just a few short years ago. Even though we still have incidents that take place, I think that we have made great progress and we need to make sure that we can properly fund public safety to see improvements continue and not slip backwards. Lynn is also very fortunate to have many open spaces in the form of the woods, parks, the Common and the shoreline but we need to make sure that we properly fund various public safety and public works budgets to keep them safe and maintained.

I know that I keep harping on it, but the future success of our city depends on the job that our city leaders do on the development space available for development. We need to make sure that we are selling Lynn as the place to invest in now, not when everyplace else becomes unaffordable. We must use all resources available from folks like state Housing and Economic Development Secretary, Jay Ash who wants to make Lynn a priority but has stated that our city leaders need to be on the same page. While a lot of attention is paid to the Lynnway, there are many areas of the city that are ripe for development including West Lynn and the Boston Street area. We need to think about the long term impact of development on commercial properties and must meet with property owners to discuss future plans as well as streamline processes to create a culture that Lynn is a business friendly community in which to do business. While I acknowledge the fact that we must be cognizant of those in need, we also need to pay close attention to how many Lynn properties are being developed by non-profits. Once these properties fall off of the tax rolls, we must find a way to replace that loss of tax revenue. We must also keep an eye on the construction of large housing projects in areas where the addition of a large number of students will further exasperate the overcrowding crisis in some of our schools.




Why should Lynn voters cast their vote for you in November?

I will once again use the word “perspective”. This is an exciting time for Lynn. If I didn’t feel that my perspective was the perfect fit for this particular time in our city’s growth, please believe me that I would not be running for this position. I am afraid that if we do not have councilors in place that possess diverse backgrounds and levels of experience, we will continue to repeat the same mistakes that have been made in the past. We are at a time when we need to learn from past mistakes, not follow the same course that permitted them. I think that we are at a time when there is great communication between the council, Mayor’s office, EDIC and Community Development and I respect and have positive relationships with the folks in all of those offices. I am a great listener and leader. During my six years on the school committee, I have a record of listening and making the decisions that I feel are best based on all available information even when I respectfully disagree with my colleagues. I love constituent service and take great pride in being able to solve problems for residents after they feel that they have exhausted all available remedies. I love this city. I love the diversity and the many positive attributes that the city offers and I truly believe that we are on the cusp of having great things happen in this city for the first time in a long time. I want to put to use my unique, unmatched experience as an educator, elected official, longtime business owner and leader to help this city grow at this great time as a new At-Large member of the Lynn City Council. I respectfully ask for your vote and support and once the mission is accomplished, I promise that I will not stay long so that I can enjoy the fruits of my labor and enjoy the perspective of those that follow. 

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For more information on Starbard's candidacy, follow his campaign on Facebook. 

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Friday, August 7, 2015

Councilor At-Large 2015 Q & A: Brian LaPierre

In this year's municipal race, there are six candidates for the four councilor at-large positions on the City Council. Brian LaPierre is among the candidates running this year. Here, LaPierre answers a few questions regarding his candidacy for City Council. 


Why are you running for Councilor At-Large?

I was born and raised in Lynn, to two lifelong Lynners: my mother, Caroline, the long-time secretary at the Hood Elementary School, and my father, Peter, a decorated Vietnam veteran. I married another lifelong Lynner, Kelly (Curtin) LaPierre, a fellow teacher, whose parents, Jim and Donna, are two more longtime Lynners. Lynn means everything to me and I’ve spent my life working to make it a better place: from being Little League president at age 19 to the years I spent teaching in the public school system to my current position advocating for teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school staff.



I am running for Councilor At-Large because I care deeply about this city and believe I can help usher in a new era of leadership that brings the city to new heights. I believe the city can do more to create a safe, accessible and inclusive environment where families and businesses can grow, thrive, and build a stronger community. 


But I also know that city government should not just be focused on big picture issues. I’m running for Councilor At-Large to help people access city services on fundamental, day-to-day concerns: filling potholes, fixing sidewalks, and the countless other requests that too often get delayed or ignored. I’m running to be the person that any resident, whether they’ve spent their whole life in Lynn or they moved here 3 months ago, feels comfortable calling to get the help they need from the City.



What qualifications, skills, and/or experiences would you bring to the Lynn City Council, if elected?

As a lifelong educator who has spent years teaching in the Lynn public school system I know first-hand the challenges the school system faces, along with all the things it does well. If elected, I’ll bring those experiences with me as we continue making progress in expanding opportunity to all Lynners through our public school system.

My teaching background also prepares me well to handle constituent issues. As a teacher, I spent my days listening to students’ concerns, figuring out what was giving them trouble, and working with them to develop solutions. I plan to bring the same work style to City Hall, where I will be constantly listening to constituents, understanding their concerns, and acting to solve them.    
                          
 

In your opinion, in what area(s) is Lynn excelling and in what area(s) is Lynn most in need of improvement?

I think the past few years have marked a turning point for Lynn. We’re starting to see exciting economic development, like businesses on the waterfront and the improvements of the downtown Lynn Arts and Cultural District. I want to continue this progress and make sure that City Hall is creating an environment that makes it easy to start, maintain, or expand a business. 

I think the city can do more to improve the safety of its streets and neighborhoods. Creating a safe and accessible environment in every single neighborhood is critical to ensuring families and businesses want to stay in Lynn. In office, I will work to make sure our neighborhoods are places our children can play, our elderly feeling comfortable walking, and our families can thrive. This means expanding quality public spaces, maintaining our streets and sidewalks, and being vigilant in addressing crime.  

Creating better neighborhoods also demands responsiveness on constituent requests. Residents should be confident that a call to City Hall will be responded to promptly, and I will work diligently to restore that confidence.


Why should Lynn voters cast their vote for you on November 3rd? 

My campaign has been based on listening and learning from all Lynn voters. Over the past 10 months, I have crisscrossed this city to have conversations with thousands of Lynners, giving me a strong understanding of their aspirations and how City Hall can be a helpful partner to help achieve those goals.


If Lynn voters decide to elect me, those aspirations will be my priority in office. I will work relentlessly to make Lynn a better place to start a family, open a business, or get an education. I will be tireless in my effort to make life easier for Lynners, especially on the small issues they feel too often get overlooked by City Hall. I know that Lynn is a city on the rise, and I know I can help build an even brighter future.

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For more information on Brian LaPierre's candidacy, he can be reached 617-974-1243 or via email at lapierreatlarge@gmail.com

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