Massachusetts First

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The election for Taunton city offices and mayor is Tuesday, November 7th. In-person absentee voting ends at noon on November 6th.

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The main debate of the campaign was held on October 26^th, and it was certainly contentious. O’Connell stressed her successful record as Mayor and State Representative for the City of Taunton. She said she would be a full-time mayor, implying Correira would not. Ed Corriera claimed that his efforts as Chief of Staff for O’Connell were responsible for Mayor O’Connell’s accomplishments as Mayor. He also implied a great deal of dissatisfaction among city employees.

Highlighting some of the issues:

New City Charter

The state approved a proposed new city charter that will be up for a vote by the people of Taunton. It calls for the mayor’s term to go to 4 years. Correira believes the question should have been on the November 7 ballot but was delayed because proponents of the new charter felt it wouldn’t pass. O’Connell claimed Correira flip-flopped on the issue as he was for it as Chief of Staff. She also said there were conflicts with a recent voter act passed in Massachusetts that had to be reconciled, and that was the cause of the delay.

Gasification Plant at the Landfill

Disposing the city’s solid waste from its wastewater treatment plant is expensive. A proposal to build a gasification system at the landfill could eliminate that expense and provide an income stream for the city. O’Connell credited Correira with bringing the idea to the city. She also said he has flip-flopped on it. Correira said it was a safety concern and another process, anaerobic digestion, should be considered.

Correira – Conflict of Interest?

According to his LinkedIn page, Ed Correira owns five businesses. Most attention has centered around his hardware store, which stopped doing business with the city to avoid a conflict of interest. Correira maintains that his sons run the businesses and will not interfere with his job as Mayor. O’Connell maintains his ownership of the businesses is a distraction, and he may have to recuse himself from city matters if there is a conflict.

Land Deal for New Public Safety Building

Correira claims he was the only person who worked on a deal to secure land for a new public safety building. O’Connell said a whole team worked on it. Correira said he was the one who tracked down the nun who planned to list the property. He pointed to the Fire Chief in the audience, saying they had a meeting along with the police chief on the matter of the land deal. The Chief could be heard saying, “We had one meeting.”

Infrastructure

Ed Correira was asked, “For the first time, the roads are being resurfaced, and we have a new fire and police station. Why do we need a new mayor?” Correira cited his work with the DPW to come up with a prioritized 5-year plan to resurface all the roads in Taunton. It was an alternative to the suggestion they limit resurfacing to downtown. O’Connell said they’ve always had a plan and that an outside consultant, DPW, and the CFO she hired worked out the plan.

Taking Credit and the CFO

The hiring of the new CFO caused an exchange of claims. Correira said he was the one who convinced O’Connell to hire him after Correira had met with councilors to address rumors that put the appointment in jeopardy. O’Connell responded that they pulled the nomination to allow for a cool-off, and the current Chief of Staff negotiated the deal that got him hired.

Correira complained that “no one gets credit where credit is due in this administration.” He cited a conversation with a city councilor about the subject and that, soon after, awards were presented at the next City Council meeting. O’Connell responded that it is important for businesses and people to be recognized for their efforts and that she is always trying to boost the community.

Paying for New Bristol-Plymouth Regional High School

Correira recommended lowering taxes to businesses to attract more to Taunton and increase net revenue to the city. O’Connell said they planned to pay for the new school within the budget, and the CFO is creating new revenue streams to help increase revenue to the city. Correira pointed out that the city got $35 million from the federal government and wonders what will happen when that is gone.

Affordable Housing

O’Connell mentioned that zoning changes have incorporated more affordable and market-rate housing. She is also pursuing housing projects for seniors and veterans. Correira claimed the O’Connell administration had not spent a cent on senior housing and could have used ARPA money to do so.

Watch the full debate here:

by Citizens for Truth Contributor