Peter McGinn: Peabody City Council Candidate Profile

PEABODY, MA — Peter M. McGinn is seeking re-election as a Peabody City Councilor representing Ward 2.

The 58-year-old father of four is a past Peabody City Council president who also works as the Director of Global Business Operations at Avnet Inc. McGinn has more than 36 years of business and technical experience, as well as experience in budget development, contract negotiations and management.

He told Patch he wants to return to the Peabody City Council to continue his work on affordable housing, keeping taxes low and ensuring a high level of municipal services for his ward.

Campaign website

facebook.com/electPeteMcGinn

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for re-election because I continue to be fully committed to our City and the residents of our ward. My approach to representing the citizens of our ward is to always listen to their concerns and do my homework on the issues before the city council. I have always strived to do what is right in terms of focusing on solutions and not simply to grandstand on issues. My commitment has been long-standing as a lifelong resident of Ward 2 who has a demonstrated track record of involvement.

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

I've learned from being on the city council, as Ward 2's representative, that no one issue is the most pressing. There are many equally important challenges facing our Ward. These include: (a) working to ensure that Peabody remains an affordable place for residents to live and work; (b) maintaining local taxes at a reasonable and affordable level; (c) ensuring that municipal services are high quality and equitably delivered; (d) ensuring that proposed development is balanced with proper controls to protect surrounding neighborhoods; (e) continued focus on revitalizing the downtown’s business district; (f) pursuing flood mitigation measures as legacy problems are worsened by the impacts of climate change and (g) advancing the Welch School renovation (a $30 million project that will be reimbursed ~ 63 percent by the state and will add 50 years to the life of the school). I pledge to continue to represent the residents of the Ward in a diligent and thoughtful manner on all issues facing our ward. I plan to continue doing what I have been doing since being elected as Ward 2 councilor. This includes being an active participant in all issues before the city council, especially those impacting our ward. I will never become complacent about the job of ward councillor, I will continue to always actively press for Ward 2's share of city services, and most importantly I will continue to be responsive to all neighborhood and resident concerns.

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

I'll let the voters of the ward decide our differences. I will say (without comparing myself to my opponent), that I believe my experience in local government as well as professionally and my extensive record of community involvement give me the ability to be a highly effective advocate for the ward and its residents. I have lived in the ward my entire life and along with my wife, we have raised our family in Ward 2. I remain committed to ensuring that Ward 2 receives the best representation possible.

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

The pandemic we have experienced over the past 18 months has been a very difficult period of time for everyone. I think city officials have correctly focused on this as a public health emergency and with that focus have taken appropriate steps to safeguard the public and reduce the spread of coronavirus. During the height of the pandemic, the city council carefully navigated changes to the open meeting law to find ways to continue to do the needed work of the council, without undue risk to public health. This was not without technical and other challenges but, in general, I think the approach was successful.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I’m not running for re-election on a set list of issues. Rather, I'm running on the approach to the job of ward councilor that I have demonstrated since first being elected. In response to the first question. I identified some of the important issues facing our ward and the city of Peabody. As a ward councilor, I always strive to weigh the neighborhood impacts of proposals before the council and listen to the concerns of ward residents.

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

My record on the city council is that of a fully engaged ward councilor who tries to decide and resolve issues in a fair and equitable manner. I am an active member of multiple committees and get involved at the detail level. I have always done my homework on issues, before forming an opinion, and have always voted in what I've seen as the best interest of the ward’s residents. I have demonstrated leadership on the city Council as past president and current chairperson of the Finance Committee. I am an active councilor on a number of other committees and a strong voice on numerous issues. I'm proud of my record as Ward 2 councillor.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Treat people with respect, the way you’d want to be treated and always be mindful of everyone's point of view. Consider all sides of an issue, before taking a position.

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

I continue to be fully committed to the job of Ward 2 councilor and want voters to know that I'll continue to be focused on ward issues as well as issues that impact the entire City. I assure all Ward 2 voters that I do not take their support for granted. Addressing each voter individually, I respectfully ask for your support and your vote on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2nd.