“The city council needs to prioritize discussions about homelessness and addiction, affordable housing, and the city’s inability to keep both small and large businesses within city limits. The city council should be the conduit for constituents to have a voice within City Hall.”
WORCESTER – The 2023 Worcester municipal election day is nearly upon us, and the Worcester Guardian reached out to candidates in contested races. Asking each a set of questions, the Guardian is publishing these responses up until voting day (Nov. 7).
Dave “Peterman” Peterson is running for District 1 city councilor.
Peterson a native of Medway, MA, who came to Worcester in 2002 when he got a job with WXLO Radio as the promotions director. He bought a house in 2008 (just before the market crashed) and still lives in that same house today. For 21 years, he’s worked in the media and entertainment industries in Worcester – for the last ten years with the Worcester Bravehearts. Peterson a recipient of the Worcester Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40” class of 2011, and a board member for both Discover Central MA and North Worcester Business Association.
The following are Peterson’s responses to the Guardian’s questionnaire:
What inspired you to run, and what makes you the right person for the job?
I know the question is “what,” but I’m going to give a “who” as my answer. If I had to point to one person, I’d say without a doubt that Tony Economou has really been the inspiration for me to do this. Our former District 1 city councilor has always been a level-headed leader whose best quality is his ability to listen, especially to those who disagreed with him. I’ve gotten to work with him closely through the North Worcester Business Association over the past five years and I appreciate the way he brings people together for positive change. On a larger scale, my job with the Bravehearts continues to make me consider more and more elements of public policy such as taxes and minimum wage. I’ve developed literacy programs in conjunction with the Worcester Public Schools, secured free uniforms for dozens of local Worcester Little League teams, and volunteered for Meals on Wheels while I was laid off during the height of the pandemic, allowing me to play a small role in helping some of our most vulnerable in the city on a daily basis. I’m a man with integrity who has built a business on the ability to compromise. I avoid drama, I don’t take myself too seriously, I hold myself accountable, and I’m always a man of action. That’s why I’m the right person for this job.
What are, or should be, the city council’s top priorities?
In March, WGBH Morning Edition ran a story titled, “Why Worcester City Council Meetings Can Be A Spectacle.” In it, the common examples of superfluous speeches, misplaced priorities, and constant bickering characterized our city council as being so inept that it causes the meetings to last three hours. The city council needs to get back to basics: debate the real issues facing this community and leave the rest for subcommittee meetings. Then put together an action plan that gets communicated out to residents. The city council needs to prioritize discussions about homelessness and addiction, affordable housing, and the city’s inability to keep both small and large businesses within city limits. The city council should be the conduit for constituents to have a voice within City Hall.
What’s the most negative impression of Worcester (whether real or imagined), and how do you think this can be remedied?
Worcester was once the “Paris of the Eighties.” Then it was “A City On the Move.” And yet, when you bring up those phrases to people from outside the city, there is an inherent smirk or chuckle when people utter those words. I don’t think people view Worcester as terribly unsafe, dirty, or dried up. I just still think there is a perception that the city is the forgotten younger child to Boston and is trying too hard to shake that image. This perception gets remedied when agencies like the MBTA – for example – stop cutting non-stop rail service to Boston from Worcester that is meant to serve the influx of residents who are moving west from Newton and Wellesley. This perception gets remedied when companies begin to choose to do business here in Worcester rather than suburbs like Marlborough and Sutton. This perception will get remedied once Worcester is truly seen as an entertainment destination that doesn’t get skipped over by concert tours and sports tournaments. We are working hard on it, but we are not there yet.
Do you think the city is responding appropriately to immigration to Worcester? Is the city meeting the needs of the influx of refugees?
The city is responding appropriately considering the difficult position it is being put in by the state and federal government. I applaud the creation of the New Arrivals Task Force and resulting coordination with hospitals, schools and others, but this continues to be an issue that needs to be fixed on the national level. At the recent candidates’ forum hosted by the Massachusetts Organization of African Descendants, I said that I’d work with our state delegation to fast track driver’s education courses and work on grants to help cover the cost of those classes. This is in addition to assuring that those here already can obtain work visas, education, and necessary housing for their families so that they can become productive members of society.
Now that we’re several seasons in, what are your thoughts on the city’s investment in Polar Park? Good or bad for the city?
I was never a fan of investing $100M in this ballpark (especially since I submitted a proposal to develop that land in 2017 at a fraction of that cost for a mixed-use facility that would host athletic events and concerts), but what’s done is done and we’ve got to figure out how to pay for it by focusing on generating tax revenue in that neighborhood. I’m excited to see new development happening there. I’m not excited to hear from business owners in the neighborhood about how lack of parking has put a stranglehold on their revenues on game nights.
What’s the best place for breakfast or lunch in the city?
Lou Roc’s Diner. Western omelet with hash browns for me.
What’s the last concert you attended?
Gary Backstrom Band locally at the Bravehearts in August. He’s a legend. The last BIG concert was Hall and Oates last November at Mohegan Sun. I saw four concerts last year and the most enjoyable was Jimmy Buffett. R.I.P.
Contact Charlene Arsenault at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
