New Year’s Resolutions: Central Mass Leaders Set Goals for 2013

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Monday, December 24, 2012

Joe Dilworth, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

With New Year’s Resolutions fresh in our minds, GoLocalWorcester sought to find out exactly what local leaders wanted to achieve most in 2013. We polled 11 notable Worcesterites and recorded their answers. Here’s what we found.

Joseph O’Brien, City Councilor-At-Large:

“I want the council and school committee to approve a five-year operational plan and a ten-year capital budget plan for public schools. There’s nothing more important we can do than to set a course and work towards building the best urban public schools in the country so this city can have a bright future.”

Kathleen Toomey, City Councilor-At-Large:

“The most important thing to accomplish in 2013 is ensuring the city attracts more business, which will make positive impacts on tax rates, provide jobs and be generally beneficial in every way. We need to ensure we can fully fund education, increase our police and fire presences, and improve the quality of life.”

Philip Palmieri, District 2 City Councilor:

“You don’t just pick one. Providing more jobs is first and foremost. Working on the commuter express trains, safety in our neighborhoods, and improving public education is also extremely important as well.”

William Eddy, District 5 City Councilor:

“Obviously we need to continue building our downtown economy and strengthen our neighborhoods. We need to explore all viable options.”

Paul Giorgio, Democratic State Committeeman:

“Casino gaming. We need to work towards getting a license in Worcester. It’s the most important economic project for the City. It would mean 300-400 union jobs and 300-400 construction jobs and would generate real estate tax revenues as well.”

Peter Alden, CEO, Bay State Savings Bank:

“The most important issue is to ensure a positive relationship between local city government and the business community. We need to work towards developing the areas identified by the Worcester Business Development Corporation.”

Grace Ross, Progressive Activist and GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™:

“The issue is rebuilding our communities. It has to do with reversing foreclosures, generating real local jobs, and shifting the tax structure so that money isn’t being shifted out of our communities.”

George Russell, District 3 City Councilor:

“Public safety continues to be a high priority. The addition of more Police and Fire personnel is just the beginning. We need to continue to support the neighborhood watch groups who are really the experts on what works and what is going on in our neighborhoods.”

Sarai Rivera, District 4 City Councilor:

“I’d like to see a concrete plan for the South Worcester Industrial Park. It would be a huge help to the city as a whole with business recruitment and job creation.”

Richard Kennedy, President, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce:

“The revitalization of the Theatre District. It would be great to get a new hotel downtown and other properties renovated.” 

Konstantina Lukes, City Councilor-At-Large:

"Have the City Council become a role model for Congress by solving the fiscal cliff issues between the City and School Committee."

"Forever close all the Police Chief’s Twitter accounts."

"Appoint a Blue Ribbon panel to study the impact of marijuana dispensing sites, slot parlors and the Assessor’s Office on the economic future of the City."

"Do eminent domain takings of all tax-exempt properties in the City of Worcester."

"Send the EPA a bill for disturbing the peace of Public Works Commissioner Bob Moylan"

"Convince the City Council to read the reports of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau’s report before criticizing the reports."
 

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