Massachusetts First

Interview with Peabody Mayoral Candidate Rochelle Agneta: Part 1–Business

Rochelle Agneta, a first-time candidate for mayor, is a small business owner and community volunteer who grew up in Peabody, where she lives with her husband and two children. Massachusetts First Citizens for Truth recently interviewed Peabody Mayoral Candidate Rochell Agneta about her background, why she is running for mayor, and her plans to improve…

“Citizens For Truth”
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Rochelle Agneta, a first-time candidate for mayor, is a small business owner and community volunteer who grew up in Peabody, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Massachusetts First Citizens for Truth recently interviewed Peabody Mayoral Candidate Rochell Agneta about her background, why she is running for mayor, and her plans to improve the city if elected on November 7th.

This interview will be published as a series of articles, each featuring one question and answer.

Question:

In a September 22 Facebook post, when asked why you were running for Mayor, you said:

“Because I found out the hard way that when wrong decisions are made by a Mayor, it affects real people and their families in ways that most of you will never know. “

Would you like to explain what you meant by “finding out the hard way”?

Agneta:

I used to own a salon at 2 Bourbon Street, where I had an electricity billing dispute with the landlord. I contacted City Hall to request a Building Inspector come to the property and label the meters, but no one would respond. I tried several times to get someone out to simply label the meters and prove which ones belonged to the salon.  After several attempts, I tried contacting Mayor Bettencourt’s office, but he refused to respond. I went through a four-year legal battle over it. Twelve women lost their jobs.

I have no idea why the Inspector wouldn’t come out. I’ve heard similar stories from business owners in Peabody about how Mayor Bettencourt doesn’t care. I’ve heard he’s rarely available to help business owners. I’m a Peabody resident, so I can vote, but most business owners in the city aren’t residents, so they have no vote.

Rochelle Agneta’s platform regarding Peabody businesses, found on her campaign page, Agneta for Change in Peabody, are listed below:

Build a strong business community, which builds a strong economy

  1. Hire a business liaison to work with landlords, realtors, PACC, and others in Peabody to:
    • address issues and concerns of businesses
    • fill vacant properties,
    • create an aesthetically pleasing downtown
    • create a marketing plan for the downtown to draw people to that area to shop, eat, and play
  2. Bring back the Harvest Festival for Brooksby and Tillies Farms to highlight agriculture
  3. Create a business plan that would bring revenue to the Peabody Skating Rink
  4. Work with The Blackbox to bring back more entertainment

Look for our next article in this series coming soon.

VOTE NOVEMBER 7TH!

By Citizens for Truth

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