Meet Peabody Ward 6 City Council Candidate Ryan Cox

PEABODY, MA — Ryan Cox, a lifelong Peabody resident, construction foreman and community advocate, is one of two candidates running for Ward 6 City Council in the upcoming municipal election.

Cox and Michael Higgins are the two candidates who advanced in September to vie for the seat currently held by Mark O'Neil, who said this spring he was not running for re-election.

He told Patch that transparency in government, responsible development in the city and the push for a new Peabody high school will be among his priorities, if elected.

Cox submitted these responses to Patch questions about the upcoming election:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/RyanCox.Ward6

Thoughts on the September primary and November election:

I am very honored to be moving on to the November ballot. Going into the preliminary election, I knew I had an uphill battle with this being my first time running and going up against Mr. Cardello, who has over 20 years of experience as a city councilor in Everett, and Mr. Higgins who is publicly endorsed by our current Ward Councilor. Throughout this process, I was humbled as community members approached me with words of support and encouragement. It felt pretty surreal having some of my favorite Peabody public school teachers reach out to me to congratulate and wish me luck moving forward to November. Looking toward November, I am looking forward to having more conversations with community members and gaining your support!

Why did you decide to run?

In the spring of 2021, I started working with a group of Ward 6 community members who were concerned about the 128 Newbury Street development. During this time, I started to attend the monthly Zoning Board of Appeals meetings and collaborated with the current and former ward councilors, as well as various Councilors at Large in order to learn and become the best advocate for our neighborhood as possible. As a concerned community member, I have been actively involved with all the meetings and have diligently been fighting against the over-development of housing that is currently being proposed at the top of Winona Street.

When the wards were redrawn in Peabody, my neighborhood switched from Ward 5 to Ward 6 and that is when I decided to run for Ward 6 Council. I feel that Ward 6 needs better representation for what is happening in all areas of the Ward and for more transparency of information between the Peabody government and the community members. I am dedicated to providing the most up-to-date information regarding the happenings in our neighborhoods to our community members.

What previous experiences do you have that make you believe you will be good for the City Council?

As a lifelong resident of Peabody, growing up in the same neighborhood that I am currently living in and raising our daughter, I feel that I am committed and devoted to ensuring our community is the best that it can be. Additionally, I have been a dedicated Local 537 member for 10 years, spending the last 5 as a foreman running several construction jobs with various-size crews completing time-sensitive projects in different medical labs, government buildings, and casinos.

My time as a foreman has taught me the importance of communication has strengthened my work ethic and problem-solving skills, and continues to show my dedication to working through adversity to complete the job at hand. I believe the skills I possess and the experiences that I have had will bring a fresh perspective and needed change to our city council.

What will be your top priorities if you are able to win and represent Ward 6?

• One of my top priorities is to continue to ensure responsible development within our neighborhoods, in Ward 6, and throughout the city of Peabody. I plan to address this by continuing to educate myself on what is being proposed throughout the community, by continuing to attend the zoning board of appeals meetings, and by advocating and asking the important questions. This is something that I have been committed to, as a concerned citizen for several years now, and I feel that as the Ward 6 Councilor, the voices and opinions of our community members will truly be heard and considered.
• As a Peabody High School graduate, and as a father raising my daughter who will be attending Peabody Public Schools, our education system is of the utmost importance. In the coming years, Peabody hopefully will be building a new high school. This upgrade is well overdue and necessary for our teachers and students in order to provide high-quality educational opportunities. In line with that, I am in support of Peabody bringing back and offering a vocational program in some capacity. I feel that this will offer our students an opportunity for a well-rounded education. In addition, I understand the importance of how routine maintenance on our current school buildings can impact the longevity and overall function of the building. In recent years, this routine maintenance has fallen short and we need to ensure that it gets done in order to maintain the level of educational buildings Peabody can be proud of.
• As I have been walking the neighborhoods of Ward 6 meeting our community members during this campaign process, it has come to my attention what poor conditions our roads and sidewalks are in. This is a huge public safety concern as many of our sidewalks are unwalkable, leading to people using the street to safely push a stroller or ride bikes with their children. As ward councilor, I would make it a top priority to work with DPW to address and repair these safety hazards throughout our neighborhoods.