WORCESTER – Incumbent District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj and local boxing luminary Jose Antonio Rivera earned reputations as fighters in two very different arenas. This was fully apparent on Wednesday, Oct. 18, in the sparring that took place between them during a district city councilor seats’ debate at Mechanics Hall.
The evening also featured appearances by: Jenny Pacillo and David C. Peterson, who are facing off in District 1; incumbent Candy Mero-Carlson, who challenges Robert A. Bilotta for District 2; incumbent George J. Russell, who goes up against Feanna Jattan-Singh in District 3; and first-time candidates Katia Gisela Norford vs. Luis Albizu Ojeda for District 4 representation.
In seeking a second term as D5 councilor, Haxhiaj describes herself as “a candidate for the future” who has proven to be a forceful, outspoken and at times fly-in-the-ointment presence on the floor of city council. A single mom who fled Albania with her parents, she is director of public education and advocacy for the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance (CMHA) who “identifies with struggling families.”
Rivera, who like Dave Peterson (general manager of the Worcester Bravehearts), is jumping out of the realm of sports into politics, is a three-time world champion in two different weight classes. He is also assistant chief court officer in Dudley and head of Rivera Promotions Entertainment. Raised by a single mother who died when he was ten, he emphasizes “people over politics” and says “there is nothing more powerful than a community that knows how to fight for itself.”
In their opening statements, Councilor Haxhiaj and Rivera offered a preview of what was to come, in a continuation of friction that first developed between them when Rivera questioned Haxhiaj’s effectiveness in dealing with issues on Mill Street, including the long-abandoned and now-demolished former Big D supermarket. Haxhiaj decried attempts to sabotage her campaign, and in doing so, did not specifically blame Rivera for threats she received.
“I’m ready to build on the successes of the last two years,” she told her audience. “Caring, showing up, taking action.”
“I’m missing senior night at South High,”Rivera told the crowd. “I’m ready to fight for public safety, taxes, small business…this is your seat, not mine.”
Haxhiaj and Rivera are most at odds on issues of public safety, and affordable housing and the homeless.
The city is not investing enough in affordable housing, Rivera said. Haxhiaj countered that she has been a strong advocate for inclusionary zoning. “I pushed for that and the majority of Council shot that down,” she said.
People “are getting priced out of the city, including people who have never faced this before,” Haxhiaj said. “We need more shelter beds and we need to address the encampments.”
“My opponent refuses to face the issue,” Rivera countered. “The harm caused by the homeless.” To which Haxhiaj responded that the city can find solutions that satisfy both the concerns of businesses and residents affected by the homeless, and the homeless themselves.
On public safety, to Councilor Haxhiaj’s assertion that “District 5 has one of the lowest” incidences of crime, Rivera said Haxhiaj “demonizes the Worcester Police Department. A safe city is a vibrant city,” he said.
In their respective closing statements, Haxhiaj and Rivera laid it all on the line.
“I have run a thoughtful and positive campaign,” Councilor Haxjiaj said. “District 5 deserves better than the toxic tone of this campaign.”
“The city needs to make continued progress,” Rivera said. “No homeless in parks or on private property.”
Flash points were evidenced to a lesser extent in the other district-seat exchanges. Most notably, as it turned out, between Peterson and Pacillo.
Peterson noted that he came to Worcester to take a job as promotions director for WXLO and that over the years he has been actively engaged with community on a number of fronts. He stressed that the master plan for the future of Burncoat High has to stay within budget and that he is the more accessible of the two candidates. He described the current city council as “very cliquey.” Noting towns such as Auburn, Webster and Shrewsbury offering a more favorable property tax rate to businesses, that “we need to increase the commercial base.”
Pacillo hails from “a large Irish and Italian family,” is part-time editor of the Pulse and CM Pride, a mother of three children and dedicated to volunteering and quality of life issues. Her aim is to “be the first woman city councilor from District 1.” Hard work and empathy are the backbones of her candidacy, she said, adding: “I understand the struggles of the middle class.” She noted that she is “a strong supporter of the new Burncoat High School-Middle School” and someone who “prioritizes the needs of all schools.”
Pacillo did not reply when in his closing statement Peterson said “Sean Rose (the current D1 councilor) has endorsed my opponent but a lot of people have not heard from him” during his years serving that part of the city.
As hard as it will be for first-time challengers Jattan-Singh and Bilotta to unseat District 3 Councilor Russell and District 2 Councilor Mero-Carlson, they gave a convincing account of themselves.
Jattan-Singh, a realtor, was especially animated, to the delight of onlookers, as she pronounced herself a candidate “for positive change.” She was critical of city council for “many items being held or put off for years.”
She may have scored when she said the city has done nothing with empty units connected to the Worcester Senior Center.
Russell, likewise, drew a favorable reaction when he said the city needs to look at “free trash pickup.” A six-term incumbent, he said “I always show up for the people of the district and I have a 100% roll-call vote record.”
Mero-Carlson, “a three-decker child,” now retired from Harvard/Pilgrim Health Care, said she has devoted her time on council to building partnerships and achieving substantial results, to recreational spaces, quality of life and pedestrian safety. In her fourth term, she said she is most proud that “38 percent of the parks in the city have undergone upgrades during her time on council” and that “the city is moving in the right direction.”
Bilotta said his background as a disability rights advocate and “for neighborhoods and residents” is an asset. He chided the city for “going so overboard with tax relief for developers.” He and Mero-Carlson agreed that “traffic calming measures” need to be taken on Lake Avenue, Belmont Street and Plantation Street. “These issues have gone on for too long,” Bilotta said. “We can do better.”
In District 4, Norford and Ojeda both loom as qualified candidates. Norford is a business owner in Main South, a mother, clerk-secretary for the Main South Business Association and on the board of directors of the Main South CDC.
“I want to be the voice of my district,” she said. She stood out in her assertion that “a flat rate” on property taxes “would be great.” She said Clark University should be “held accountable” for its plans to redevelop a block of Main Street. “I am concerned,” she said. “I am always working for quality of life in District 4 and the whole city.”
Ojeda, an educator in the Worcester Public Schools, said he has spent considerable time “meeting with residents, doing neighborhood cleanups and building relationships.”
He said in his opening statement “I am a living testament to dreams that can come together in our community. I want to remove the negative mindset.” He said the “lack of compromise” on City Council “is disappointing.” In terms of affordable housing, “we are constantly falling short.” Too often, he said, “we turn a blind eye, especially for immigrants. We need a multi-faceted approach. We should have gotten ahead of this a while ago. Incentives are needed.”
Jattan-Singh managed to keep the proceedings light and drew laughter when in her closing statement she quipped: “I have 2,000 friends on Facebook.”
The last of a series of debates being hosted by Mechanics Hall, for mayor, is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7, but early voting has begun.
Rod Lee is a career journalist, a veteran of the media scene in Worcester and Central Massachusetts, and the author of seven books including the recently published “Gil Cristopher,” a novel about the difficulties associated with aging. He lives in Northbridge with his wife Marie. He can be contacted at rodlee.1963@gmail.com
