Jon Turco: Peabody City Council Candidate Profile

PEABODY, MA — Jon Turco is seeking re-election as a Peabody At-Large City Councilor after serving on the city council in Ward 1 since 2016.

The 49-year-old is a graduate of Malden Catholic and Johnson & Wales. He is an airfield foreman at Logan Airport and raised his two daughters in Peabody with his wife, Kimberly.

The citywide general election on Nov. 2.

Campaign website

Jon Turco Councilor At Large Facebook

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for office to simply make life easier for Peabody residents through responsiveness and action.

The single most pressing issue facing our city is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The upcoming year will be a daunting one. We as a city have lost 18 months of time and we must make up for it in the upcoming year. Our police and fire staffing levels need to be brought back to pre-pandemic levels. Transportation and infrastructure investment need to be brought back to the forefront and we must address the sudden influx of new development which will have an overwhelming effect on our public safety departments, schools and traffic.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Quite simply, I was not born and raised here. I was raised in Revere and was part of the exodus that took place due to the overdevelopment and resulting population boom. My hope is to keep that from happening in Peabody.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I believe our health department did a spectacular job dealing with Coronavirus. In hindsight, I would have opened municipal buildings much sooner.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I believe the Riverwalk project and the Salem connector will be the two most important projects to implement. Without another form of transportation to and from Peabody, the quality of life of current residents will deteriorate quickly with the influx of new residences expected and the traffic they will bring.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I pride myself on being extremely responsive to the residents of Peabody. To me, that is the most important job for any elected official. Not only have I been responsive but I've provided results and not excuses.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Tell the truth and the rest comes easy!

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a 29-year member of the Teamsters Union. I have been a laborer, a heavy equipment operator and most recently a working foreman. I've worked shifts. I've needed to work the overtime to make ends meet, and I've been frustrated by the system both before and during my time in elected office.

I get it. There's work to be done, plenty of it and I'm prepared to do it.