Meet Salem City Council Candidate For Re-Election Domingo Dominguez

SALEM, MA — Domingo Dominguez is seeking re-election to the Salem City Council after representing residents as an At-Large member of the Council for the past six years.

He is one of six candidates running for four At-Large seats in Tuesday's election.

Dominguez told Patch that among his priorities if elected would be affordable housing, the climate crisis, as well as mitigating the increase in traffic and easing the parking crunch.

Patch provided a series of candidate profile questions to candidates in contested races this fall with these Dominguez's responses:

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

Born in the Dominican Republic, Domingo Dominguez has called Salem home for the past 30 years. He is a proud husband and father to seven wonderful children and five grandchildren. He has owned his current home on Raymond Road since 2000.

He is able to communicate fluently in English and Spanish. Dominguez currently serves as a City Councilor where he works collaboratively with his colleagues and community groups to bring transformative change to the city of Salem. As a Councilor, Dominguez is a member of the Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs Committee (OLLA) and is the liaison for the License Board and Council on Aging.

During his three terms, he has participated in passing a balanced city budget, collaborated with colleagues and community groups to hold a series of community conversations to learn more about residents' concerns, and has been committed to celebrating and getting to know all the different faces of Salem.

Outside of the Salem City Council, Dominguez is a regional sales manager with IDT Corporation. His past work experience includes 15 years as an owner/operator of a multiservice business located in Salem. Prior to opening up his own company, he spent three years as a teacher in Salem Public Schools.

Dominguez is aware of the ongoing issues within Salem. He wants to continue to listen to your concerns to learn more. He will continue to strongly advocate for the health, safety and well-being of our neighborhoods and all of its residents

Campaign social media/website:

Facebook: Dominguez Salem City Councillor at Large
Instagram: domingoatlarge
Twitter: @dominguezCityCouncilorSalem
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/domingo-dominguez-03216216
Email: djdprofessional@gmail.com

Why are you seeking this elected office?

I am running to represent my family and my community. Family is the most important thing to me besides God, and Salem has given me support in raising my family and becoming a homeowner. I have learned through many experiences what it takes to have a beautiful life in Salem, and I want everyone who lives here to have that same opportunity. I have been a teacher, a business owner, a community leader, and raised a family. I know what to fight for because I know many Salem residents have the same dreams and concerns as me. It has been a great honor to serve the people of Salem for the last six years as one of your city councilors at large.

I am very proud of the work that along with my colleagues I have accomplished, but I know we have so much more to do. I would be honored to continue to serve you for the next two years.

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

*Housing
*Traffic
*Parking

Real Affordable Housing

There are no simple solutions and no one silver bullet to resolve the housing affordability crisis. We must focus on concrete and creative measures. It will require us working together in innovative ways. We have to develop a long-term plan for housing in Salem and stick to that plan. We must bring everyone together to make that plan. We need it to be flexible enough to allow developers to provide new housing options but defined enough to not displace our current residents. We need to be transparent and inform the community about what is happening and why, and we need to use housing formulas that include low-income projects, mixed housing projects, housing for seniors, and housing for our veterans. I will work to make that plan happen, and I will not sign off on policies that move people out of our community.

As part of that plan, we must offer incentives and tax breaks for developing affordable housing. Salem has entered into contracts and offered tax breaks and public land to projects that require market-rate development. We need to partner with developers that are offering affordable housing at 60% AMI and at a minimum of 30% of the units.

Offer Municipal bonds (via ballot) for affordable housing. Bring back the Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. And we need to be on the cutting edge of development focused on faster building, increased productivity, and lower costs.

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

We have a large percentage of Latino residents and right now I am the only councilor who can
communicate effectively in English and Spanish and has grown up in that culture. I have a strong belief in the importance of being independent and working across the aisle. I do not believe we can make the best decisions when politicians are working against each other, or when there are members of our communities who do not think their voice is heard or that the people representing them already have their minds made up. I believe I have proven my dedication to this city and will work every day to continue to do so.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Climate crisis

The whole world is impacted by the climate crisis. Salem is on the coast and could eventually have a problem if the sea level continues to rise. We need to continue to look for sustainable solutions. One initiative that I support and will continue to support is promoting solar energy.

Through Solarize Mass, Salem has partnered with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), and the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to offer cheaper solar energy for Salem residents. We also need to work with Salem State University and our local scientists and organizations to educate residents on steps everyone can take to live more sustainably. We can all try to carpool more, walk or use bicycles, use less water, pick up trash, and do little things to change the negative impact we are having on the climate.

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

I will reassure you that, if elected, I will continue to work with strong devotion and solid purpose
to do my best to find common ground on the issues that matter to you the most.