My goals for peabody:
SMALL BUSINESS In Peabody
Small Businesses are the backbone of a city’s economy and community. They generate tax revenue, employ residents, give a city character and attract visitors. Small businesses are also the ones who donate to your school raffles and sponsor our local sports teams.
When a municipality “puts the tax burden on businesses” to keep residential taxes low, we are missing the big picture. These burdens are not only put on large corporations but affect our small mom & pop businesses. These businesses have already taken a large toll during 2020 and 2021, to then put the tax burden on these businesses meant the closing of many who could no longer continue with the tax increases in Peabody. These closings have a ripple effect through the city.
I am not only a resident but also a Peabody small business owner for 30 years, as such I see the city from 2 different perspectives. I have been fortunate enough to be able to give back to my community through my business. Every year my team chooses a cause to do a fundraiser for: we have contributed to cystic fibrosis, Boston Children's Hospital, St. Jude’s, Toys for Tots, Northeast Animal Shelter, No Child goes Hungry Citizens Inn, all our local schools, firefighters and the police. These are what small businesses give back to our community.
It is imperative that we make strategic plans to our fiscal budget that will no longer put the tax burden on these businesses and watch them close their doors!
Education in peabody
Education is how we prepare our children not only for jobs but for life. The goal is to keep every child learning in our city’s schools while creating a system so strong that other communities choose to send their children here, turning education into both an opportunity and a revenue stream. To do this we need to expand specialized programs, develop high quality in district special education, invest in teacher support and retention and commit to transparent school spending. We must engage families through stronger communication and collaboration by building a user friendly website. The result is that every child in our city can learn, grow and thrive right here at home, tax dollars are saved by reducing out of district costs, new revenue flows in as other communities pay tuition to join our schools and our city becomes a regional leader in education and opportunity.
Every child in this city deserves to belong, thrive and learn right here at home. On several occasions I have had the opportunity to meet with parents that have children with special needs. As a city we are falling short giving these parents the support they deserve. Right now far too many students are being sent out of district to other communities away from their families and friends.
This is not just about the emotional cost to these families it also cost the city millions of dollars. That’s your taxpayer dollars not building better services here.
I have discussed the lack of vision for our Kiley school. The Kiley housed our school administrators but the city decided to lease a building at the cost of taxpayers while the Kiley fell into disrepair. This school would have been a perfect location to invest in our future.
Under my administration, Peabody will invest in a Special Education System that keeps our children here and gives them the services they need to succeed. We will become the district that other cities send students to. That is revenue we can use to build more services, hire more staff and reduce the burden on our local taxpayers.
Peabody can be a leader and invest in our teachers and keep our children where they belong.
Let’s build this future together.
MAKING PEABODY A SUSTAINABLE City
Establishing a sustainable city is the ultimate objective of all municipalities, and it is a goal that Peabody has yet to attain. Developing long-term strategies to establish a self-sustaining city is my objective. I have discussed various initiatives, including the commuter rail, establishing a performing arts center, bringing biotech businesses to our industrial park, implementing our own ambulance service in Peabody, expanding our museum to incorporate all of Peabody’s rich history and creating an education system that not only keeps our children in the district but also generates revenue from other districts. These six plans aim to create revenue streams for our city reducing our reliance on budget cuts and tax increases. With a $200 million budget, $269 million in authorized debt and depleted cash reserves, we require comprehensive plans for our city. It is imperative that we stop cutting educators and services that provide a quality of life for our residents. We must stop building apartments and raising taxes for quick money fixes. We must initiate building a genuinely sustainable future for Peabody. I welcome your input, as your feedback is invaluable, and we must work together to create a Peabody that provides for our future generations.