5 Questions For Matt Wally, Worcester At-Large Council Candidate

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester's At-Large City Council race, as usual, contains the biggest field of candidates in 2021 with ten people vying for six seats.

Five of those candidates are incumbents — plus one more incumbent who doesn't hold an at-large seat. Sitting District 5 Councilor Matt Wally is making a switch and running for an at-large seat in 2021 to focus on citywide issues.

Worcester Patch asked all City Council candidate to answer questionnaires so voters can get to know them and their priorities better. Here's what Wally said:

Why are you running for City Council in 2021?

I am running for the Worcester City Council because I want to serve as a champion for issues, which will ensure Worcester is a vibrant, safe, affordable, diverse, walkable, and financially stable city which offers access to opportunities for everyone who strives to live successful and productive lives.

I am advocating for more consumer options for affordable and reliable internet connectivity including the potential of a municipally owned broadband network. I am advocating for an equitable tax rate to allow for our small businesses to grow and to increase the availability of well-paying jobs. I am advocating for major improvements to Worcester’s infrastructure including more frequent street and sidewalk resurfacings and upgrades to aged drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.

There are now hundreds of housing units planned near Polar Park. What should Worcester do to ensure developments 1) don't overcrowd the neighborhood and 2) don't push out lower-income residents?

It is important that Worcester offers a mix of housing options to provide for the needs of people of all income levels. As such I am glad that the area around Polar Park will soon see the development of both market rate and affordable units. One of the benefits of urban life is that it allows for density. But the negative impacts of density must be mitigated. The key to planning for this type of growth is to develop walkable neighborhoods where automobiles are not relied upon as much by residents and visitors.

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The City Council voted 8-3 in March to adopt ShotSpotter Connect. If you are an incumbent, why did you vote the way you did?

I did vote for ShotSpotter Connect. It is important that we ensure Worcester remains a safe city and that we provide our public safety departments with the resources they need to do their jobs. As technology advancements can be used to better deploy our police officers to locations where crime is likely to occur we should take advantage of those tools.

What's your stance on making WRTA buses free permanently? Following up on that, when was the last time you rode a WRTA bus?

I am a proponent of making the WRTA bus fare free. I have not ridden a WRTA bus in a few years.

What's one thing that's missing in Worcester that you would like to see added?

Worcester is missing a greenway/linear park, which is a shared-use path along a strip of undeveloped land or waterway in an urban area set aside for recreational use. The path's surface may be paved and often serves multiple users: walkers, runners, bicyclists, skaters and hikers.

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