10 Questions with Worcester’s Mayor Joe Petty

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Patrick Sargent, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

From now until the September primary, each week GoLocalWorcester will shine the spotlight on one candidate running for an At-Large City Council seat. This week, GoLocal had the opportunity to interview Worcester's Mayor Joseph Petty.

GLW: What was accomplished and what do you wish you could’ve done better in your current term as Mayor?

JP: I think the primary accomplishment was the hiring of a new City Manager. I think Ed Augustus has done a great job and I am proud that I led the effort to hire him.

There are a great many things that we can do better in Worcester. I wish I can get guns off our streets, but this obviously has federal and state issues beyond our city limits. That said I will continue to work with the police department and help them to do all that they can to get guns off of our streets and gangs out of our neighborhoods.

GLW: What are the biggest challenges you face as Worcester's mayor?

JP: The only way we move forward as a City, in any area, is by bringing all the right people together and moving forward together. This is not always easy but it’s necessary whenever we’re talking about the big issues: economic development, the improvement of our schools, or crime in our City. These are the big issues that confront every city and there will always be room for improvement in these areas.

Leadership isn’t always about taking the credit; it’s really about sharing the credit. It’s about building relationships and partnerships.

GLW: Worcester Public Schools received plenty of attention during the past school year for violence in some schools. What, if anything, is the city currently working on to improve the safety measures in the schools prior to August 26 (the first day of school)?

JP: Our schools are frequently the arena where many of our City’s issues are played out. Poverty, homelessness, health issues, and of course at times the violence in some of our neighborhoods is exhibited in our schools.

The Youth Violence Prevention Plan that was unveiled a couple weeks ago is the long-term plan to address youth violence in our City. This includes changes in our schools that will limit the violence of our students during in-school hours.

On the short-term we’ve been working to improve the communications between our schools, the WPD, and the courts so that our students that do get in trouble are appropriately treated. DA Joe Early has of course been imperative in this task.

GLW: Gang violence in the city has seemingly escalated recently. As Mayor, what can you do to address this, and are there any future plans to add additional new officers to the current force?

JP: We will be putting a new police recruit class on shortly. I believe it will be another 25 officers or so. We have added new police every year, for the past couple of years.

There has been an increase in gang on gang member violence. Guns have become too easy to buy. We need to toughen our gun laws so that a 15 year old can’t go out there and buy a gun on the street.

We have a mandatory one year in jail, if you have an unlicensed gun or use a gun. Let’s start enforcing that law.

GLW: The community race discussions wrapped earlier this month. From those discussions, what have you learned that may help how you handle relationships with Worcester residents?

JP: What I learned is that members of our communities of color are hurting. They see discrimination in a way that I never could have. They live with it. I saw the pain in the faces of our neighbors. The discussion about race is never easy.

GLW: Please describe your working relationship with City Manager Ed Augustus.

JP: We have a great relationship and we work well together. You have to work together with all levels of government. We can accomplish a great deal when we work together. You can’t go it alone and hope to succeed. The City Manager also recognizes this.

The mayor of Worcester is like the chairman of the board. You set policy and make sure the CEO carries out the policy. I have 10 colleagues. Most of us are moving in the same direction.

GLW: What’s one message that you would like to convey to Worcester’s residents?

JP: I love this city, I love its neighborhoods. Worcester is a great place to live and raise a family. Of course we will hit bumps in the road. We are the second largest city in New England. We are a vibrant and diverse urban center and we are going to have issues. The key is to work together to solve them. That is what leadership is all about.

GLW: What’s one thing that surprises you the most when you speak to Worcester’s residents?

JP: It’s not what surprises me, but it always moves me. It is the fact that people really love Worcester. They care about their neighborhoods and their neighbors. This is what makes Worcester unique. The all want to work together to make our city a better place.

GLW: There’s roughly only six or seven weeks left of the Summer. How will you spend that time?

JP: I’ll be doing what I do year round: going to as many events as I can and talking to as many of my neighbors as possible.