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​The moment for action is now.

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Planning & Development
Salem is a desirable place to live and development is inevitable and exciting. We have a treasure of beauty here that is natural, architectural, and cultural; and preserving it requires thoughtful development. Salem’s stature as a renowned historic city depends on how well we manage our growth process. 

  • Create a long range Master Plan.

  • Amend the Wetlands Protection Ordinance restricting new development in our flood zones and wetlands.

  • Improve protections, guidelines, incentives and education for Historic Preservation throughout the city.

Affordable Housing
The term "Affordable Housing" has been exploited to benefit corporate investment agendas. The reality is that despite all the recent construction in Salem very little of this new housing is affordable to Salem residents. We must adjust our development processes to benefit Salem and its residents, not merely out of town investors and developers. Checks and balances need to be restored. 

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  • Pass an Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance with an increased affordable housing percentage.

  • Encourage first-time home buyers’ programs and tax abatements for owner occupied residential rehabilitation.

  • Create incentives for owner occupied multi-family dwellings.

  • Housing is a public health issue. We need to coordinate community and state partnerships to provide people experiencing homelessness with mental health care, treatment for substance abuse disorders, and other social services.​

Education

Let's empower our teachers and invest in our public-school facilities to keep families engaged in Salem public schools through grade twelve. Our children are our future and our school success is primary to the success of our community.

  • Create responsive leadership with a focus on improving bottom-up communication from families and teachers to the administration.

  • Our multi-lingual community is a tremendous asset. We should reinvest in our language programs throughout the district.

  • Strengthen our CTE (career technical education) programing. 

  • Remove the parent volunteer fingerprinting policy.

  • Strategically maximize our state funding & pursue grants to support our educational agenda. 

Environmental Justice

Due to Salem's coastal location and density, residents are more likely to experience environmental hazards and face exposure to flooding, pollution from high traffic, and other impacts of climate change. 

  • Amend our Wetlands Protection Ordinance to restrict development on flood zones and wetlands following the guidelines of the new Woods Hole Innundation Maps. Development in these areas contradicts the reality of achieving coastal resiliency.

  • Improve public transportation options reducing pollution.

  • Encourage and promote local businesses throughout the city that serve our neighborhoods with necessary products and services. Local walkable businesses are essential to keeping Salem pedestrian friendly.

  • Plant and maintain more trees in high traffic areas which will encourage pedestrian activity by reducing urban heat and pollution.

  • Oversee and mitigate the levels of pollution coming from the Footprint power station.

Cultural Heritage

Salem is one of America’s most historic cities with a tourist economy based on our history. This history is culturally rich with the stories of early settlers, the witch trials, maritime trade, revolution, and new immigrants - all still alive in today’s Salem neighborhoods. The current urban renewal movement threatens this cultural diversity.

  • Preserve & invest in Pioneer Village and Camp Naumkeg.

  • Partner with the PEM to share the vast inheritance given to them by Salem citizens: historic homes, archives, etc.

  • Prioritize action on the Salem Willows pier, Fort Lee and Winter Island.

  • Create preservation and maintenance guidelines for city owned historic structures, brick sidewalks and cobbled streets.

  • Increase the proportion of CPA funds used for historic municipal properties.

  • Utilize tax abatements for historic homeowner exterior restoration under the guidance of the Historic Commission.

  • Partner with the local institutions and neighboring towns to broaden the presentation of Salem’s history.

Transportation

We can do a better job with local public transportation. Our present systems are impacting residents' safety and quality of life. 

  • Conduct a city wide overview of the conditions of streets, crosswalks, bike paths and their ability to safely connect everyone to retail, schools, parks and services.

  • Invest with our local non-profits, businesses & the state to establish a cross-town electric bus or trolley service that runs regularly east to west and north to south. This program would benefit residents, students, health care workers, local businesses, as well as tourists.

  • Fast track a community T stop at South Salem.

  • Advocate with our local representatives for increased MBTA bus service.

Participation & Transparency in Government

Transparency is foundational to building trust & community. If we want a Salem for all, we need to remove barriers to participation.

  • Continue to improve our city website with additional outreach to connect residents without computers, internet access with language and ADA accommodations. 

  • Create a new city policy with the goal of reducing double-booked committee/board schedules. 

  • Improve timely posts of committee/board minutes.

If you are able to make a contribution to this grassroots campaign, please click a link below. Your generosity will help us reach more voters, and make sure that our message is heard loud and clear.

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