Politics & Government

Why Guillermo Creamer Wants A Worcester City Council Seat

The Worcester native recently moved home and became a member of the city's Human Rights Commission.

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Worcester At-Large City Council candidate Guillermo Creamer.
Worcester At-Large City Council candidate Guillermo Creamer. (Courtesy Guillermo Creamer)

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester Human Rights Commission member Guillermo Creamer is making his first run for office in 2021 for an At-Large seat on City Council.

Creamer, 27, will be one in a field of 10 candidates that includes six incumbents (including District 5 Councilor Matt Wally, who's trying to switch seats in 2021). But Creamer says he stands out in the big At-Large field. If elected, he would be the first openly gay City Councilor, and the only Latino At-Large Councilor.

He would also be the youngest Councilor by more than a decade, which is one of the main reasons he's running: Creamer says it's time for the next generation to begin making decisions about Worcester's future.

Worcester Patch sent every candidate a questionnaire to gauge their positions on key issues, and find out what they want to do if elected. Here's what Creamer said:

Why are you running for City Council in 2021?

I’m running for City Council because Worcester is at a pivotal moment in its history. Per the 2020 census, Worcester is growing at its fastest rate in 100 years. As we emerge out of the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to put Worcester on a track of long-term success. I think that I am the right candidate to do this because I am a product of Worcester. I grew up in this city, and, while my experience is not unique to Worcester, it is unique to our City Council. At 27, I am nearly half the average age of the current Council. I would be the only Latino member at the at large level, and the only openly gay man ever elected to the Council. We need a Council that reflects all of the residents of Worcester so that the Council can effectively represent the entire city. It’s time to start electing the next generation of municipal leaders.

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

The existence of more housing alone does not overcrowd neighborhoods — a lack of poor planning around new developments leads to overcrowding. If we allow these units to be constructed without also strengthening our public transit infrastructure and access, our streets will become congested with hundreds of new car commuters. Responsible housing development includes responsible, forward-thinking transit development as well.

Furthermore, we need to remember the job opportunities that come with this new development, I will always advocate for union work in this case as unions, such as our Local 336, not only provide quality work but a pathway to economic success for their members.

In order to prevent pricing out lower-income residents, both those who have lived here for generations and those looking to move to our city for the first time, we need to ensure that we are not just approving ritzy luxury condo developments without restrictions. We need to be building a lot of small-a affordable housing — units that are affordable to working families, seniors, and people of modest means. Even when we do approve more expensive multi-unit housing, we must be ensuring that a certain percentage of all units constructed are affordable for the average resident.

The City Council voted 8-3 in March to adopt ShotSpotter Connect.How would you have voted and why?

If I was on the Council at the time, I would have voted against adopting ShotSpotter Connect. In its current state, the technology has not lived up to expectations — in Chicago, a recent study found that over 80 percent of ShotSpotter alerts resulted in no crime report. At a time when there is a serious lack of trust between marginalized communities and law enforcement, we should not be making the interactions between the police and the community even more impersonal and detached.

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 support making WRTA buses permanently free. Adopting a permanent fare-free WRTA is about Worcester taking a bold step into the future, a greener, more efficient and walkable Worcester starts with keeping a fare-free system. Making the buses more accessible would reduce congestion on the streets and boost traffic to small businesses in many parts of the city.

With the influx of ARPA money the city is receiving, it would be easy to continue to fund a fare free WRTA while we look for a permanent solution to raise the revenue. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I have worked from home, so I do not ride the WRTA as often as I have in the past. Conveniently, though, I’m only about a 15-minute walk from the nearest bus stop. I last rode a WRTA bus a couple of weeks ago after reading Garren Kalter’s WRTA recommendations to develop a system with 10 minute wait times.

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

Cities like Miami, Nashville, and Washington D.C. have bus routes called "downtown circulators" that provide regular service to the cities’ downtowns and local businesses. As we look to build out the WRTA, creating our very own "Woo Circulator" would be a great way to improve tourism, boost foot traffic to our small businesses, and showcase the best of what our city has to offer. Let’s be bold about our transit approach and transform Worcester into a regional leader in transit.

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