Meet Peabody City Council Candidate For Re-Election Peter McGinn

PEABODY, MA — Peter McGinn is seeking re-election to represent Ward 2 on the Peabody City Council.

McGinn is one of two candidates on the ballot for the Nov. 7 general election.

McGinn told Patch that his priorities if elected to another term include affordable housing, keeping the tax rate as low as possible while maintaining city services, the future of the Rousselot plant after it shuts down later this year, supporting the downtown business district and managing development with the protection of Peabody residential neighborhoods.

Patch sent a series of questions to candidates in contested races in this fall's election with these McGinn's responses:

Campaign website/social media page:

• www.facebook.com/electPeteMcGinn

Share some details about yourself, your ties to the city, your career in public office and/or professional life.

• Long time Ward 2 Homeowner & Lifelong Resident
• Married to Jeannette (Darling) McGinn and father of four adult children, Anna, Morris, Daniel & Lydia, raised in Ward 2
• Age 60
• Over 37 years of business & technical experience with extensive skills in budget development, contract negotiations & management
• Master of Management Science in Manufacturing Engineering, UMass Lowell
• Bachelor of Science in Management Engineering, University of Vermont
• Peabody Veterans Memorial High School - Class of 1981
• Current Ward 2 Councillor, Peabody City Council, and past Peabody City Council President
• Current chairperson of the following City Council committees: Finance, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy and Municipal Golf Course & Skating Rink
• Current member of the following City Council committees: Legal Affairs (past chairperson) and Industrial & Community Development
• Active member of the Welch School Building committee from 2018 to the present
• City Council representative on the Community Preservation Committee
• Other community involvement includes: Peabody Main Streets board member and St. John The Baptist Parish Finance Council member

Why are you seeking this elected 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.

What are the key issues facing Peabody and how would address them, if elected?

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) the planned shutdown of Rousselot at the end of 2023; (d) ensuring that municipal services are high quality and equitably delivered; (e) ensuring that proposed development is balanced with proper controls to protect surrounding neighborhoods; (f) continued focus on revitalizing the downtown’s business district; (g) pursuing flood mitigation measures as legacy problems are worsened by the impacts of climate change and (h) advancing the completion of the Welch School renovation (a $34 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 councilor, 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 office?

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.

If you are an incumbent, what do you consider some of your accomplishments while in office and what are your priorities for the next term?

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 a leader and active member of multiple City Council 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. I am a strong voice on numerous issues. A partial list of my accomplishments while in office includes:

• Helping to advance the Welch School renovation which is nearing completion. This is a$34M project that will be reimbursed ~ 63% by the State and will add 50 years to the life of the school. I have been engaged in this process since 2018 as an active member of the Welch School building committee.
• My engagement with residents to assist with constituent services.
• My advocacy to ensure Ward 2 receives its fair share of municipal services. As an example, by working closely with the administration, between 2014 when I became ward councilor and this year, 62 (over half) of Ward 2's streets have been resurfaced.
• My role in the recent 80-acre open space DiBiase land acquisition in which I was involved from the early stages. The proximity of this land to other City controlled open space such as the Meadow Golf Course, O’Connor Park, Cedar Grove Cemetery and the Spring Pond water supply made the acquisition of particular strategic importance. Half of the acquired land is in Ward 2.
• My involvement in the preservation of 284 units of affordable housing at the Tannery 1 apartments which are in Ward 2. With respect to this effort, I was a leader on the council from the beginning of that process which commenced in March 2018.
• My efforts in the ongoing process of improving the downtown. No one person, entity or group gets sole credit for this. However, collectively, a positive atmosphere has been established that provides an environment for improvement to take place and I have been a leader in that effort. In working together with the administration, property owners, business owners, the City Council, Main Streets and other stakeholders, much positive change has taken place. The establishment of the Children's Museum & the renovation of 2 Washington St. (one of the most historically and architecturally significant buildings in the city) are recent examples of substantial progress.
• My role in the modernization of downtown parking meters, upgraded lighting and electric vehicle charging station project. This is a $1.5M grant-funded project that is now in the construction phase. I have been involved at the detail level throughout the extensive planning stage of this project for several years.
• My leadership role as chairperson of the City Council Finance Committee that helps keep Peabody an affordable place to live.
• My leadership role as chairperson of the City Council Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Committee which has pushed for Peabody to be a designated Green Community. This nearly completed process will qualify Peabody to receive substantial State grants. These funds will be used to, among other things, make Peabody’s municipal buildings more energy efficient.
• My contributions to the Central St. Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) project. This is a nearly $20M federally funded multi-year project that is now underway that will be transformative to that corridor. I have had significant involvement in the planning stages of this project for several years.
• My role in the Riverwalk which has been a vision for decades and is now in the design stage. I have had significant input on this project. The most recent progress is the acquisition of a key land parcel that moves this project one step closer to reality.

I'm proud of my record as Ward 2 Councillor.

Regarding my priorities for the next term, I will continue to address the ongoing issues of Ward 2 and the City. Of particular importance is the planned shutdown of Rousselot at the end of 2023 which is a significant issue for the City and Ward 2. With this closure comes: (a) the loss of a significant Peabody Water & Sewer Enterprise customer (~ $3M/year) which has already resulted in an increase in water & sewer rates; (b) concern with potential residual environmental issues; (c) loss of a significant taxpayer; (d) loss of a significant employer and (e) many questions about future land use. A large portion of the 14 parcels encompassing 330 acres is in Ward 2 which includes: (a) a 91.5-acre portion of the golf course and (b) large portions of the industrial developed and open space acreage along Washington St.

Immediately after hearing the announcement in February 2023, I engaged with the administration and have been working with the mayor and others to determine how the city will navigate this change. We have met with Rousselot and that process is underway. There are some key resources in which the city has interest including a major aquifer that potentially has use as a municipal drinking water source. The parent company of Rousselot is Darling Ingredients, a multibillion-dollar global corporation. I have decades of experience dealing with large corporations through my career and I believe I will continue to add value throughout this ongoing and likely lengthy process.

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 an earlier 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 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 7th.

I would also remind voters that, on Election Day, all Ward 2 voters will be casting ballots at the Holy Ghost Society Cultural Center, 20 Howley Street (across from Stop & Shop).