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Date: 2/14/2023
SPRINGFIELD – City Council President Jesse Lederman ended long-time speculation about his political future and declared his candidacy for mayor.
Lederman is the second member of the City Council to announce his intentions and his announcement came just several weeks after Councilor Justin Hurst’s announcement. Counselor and social scientist Dr. David Ciampi has also said he is running as well.
Both Hurst and Lederman’s campaigns for mayor will open up two seats on the City Council, which is also part of this year’s election cycle.
Meeting supporters and the present at Thompson Triangle in the center of the Hill McKnight neighborhood on Feb. 7, Lederman spoke of his accomplishments as an activist and a member of the council.
He said, in part, “As I’ve said throughout my time running for office, I didn’t come from a big political family or a family with a lot of money. I ran for City Council because I saw the difference that could be made in local government. There were definitely folks who said we couldn’t win – but we did thanks to some of the people you see here today, and thousands more across this city who believed that we could make a difference.
“I’m proud of the work we’ve accomplished together since then, and the commitments that I have kept to the voters of Springfield. From big victories, like stopping the biomass incinerator that long threatened our public health, holding public utilities accountable for fixing gas leaks, or ending the decade long dispute over the appointment of the Police Commission, all the way to the nuts and bolts, neighborhood quality of life initiatives, like putting our snow map online for residents to track plowing, and advocating for the soon to come conversion to LED street lights.
“We’ve delivered real results for all of our neighborhoods, by bringing people together, and standing strong, no matter the challenge. Leading the City Council, on behalf of the people of Springfield, has been the honor of my life.
“But to build a city that is truly ready for the future, we must do more.
“I’m running for Mayor to build an accessible, responsive and professional local government that can meet the needs of all our neighborhoods. A local government that is committed to an economic development vision that bring resources to our neighborhoods and lifts up working families, a local government that is committed to affordable utilities and internet access, a local government that will prioritize housing that meets the needs of our entire community, and an education system built for our students, that values our educators, and provides pathways to success right here in our city for the next generation.”
Recent interview
Lederman made comments in an episode of “Government Matters” over Focus Springfield on Jan. 30 about issues facing Springfield.
In the interview, Lederman spoke as the council president about a variety of topics, including the possibility of municipal broadband service. He is very interested in an alternative to commercial broadband and said the importance of high-speed Internet access was emphasized during the pandemic. He added a recent report indicated that 54 percent of city residents are lacking broadband services.
“I think it’s unacceptable. We cannot afford to lag behind in that infrastructure investment,” he said. He added it’s an issue of equity and access and a tool for future economic development.
Chicopee, Westfield and West Springfield are all developing municipal broadband and Lederman doesn’t want Springfield to be in a non-competitive position.
Although Lederman was not at the press conference with MGM Resorts International CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle. Lederman expressed concern about comments that Hornbuckle made about over-estimating the Springfield market and not being able to reach the 3,000 casino jobs that had been promised. Lederman believes that any aspect of the Host Community Agreement that has not been met there should be negotiations for an alternative benefit.
He believes that any person or entity who has a legal agreement with the city of Springfield should be “left off the hook.” He added the city needs to look to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for their support.
Lederman said he does not consider MGM Springfield to be the economic savoir for the city. “If we are really thinking about the future of Springfield and the future economic success of Springfield, we need to re-focus our priorities and our vision, really to prioritize our neighborhood economic centers … We have an incredible opportunity, I believe, in areas like Mason Square, the X, downtown Indian Orchard and the North End of Springfield. These are economic centers that cry out for investment that cry out for creative development that benefit the people who already live here.”
While the city needs to hold MGM Springfield accountable, Lederman said he wants to see people talking more about those neighborhood economic centers. He also highlighted private business making a difference such as Gasoline Alley and the resurgence of the city’s restaurant scene.
Lederman believes Springfield was “slow” with the issue of recreational cannabis, especially compared to neighboring communities. He explained the City Council did its role in the issuing of permits and zoning.
He believes the process resulted in “leaving money on the table” for the city. He described the revenues that come to the city’s general fund through the sales at the three recreational dispensaries are “desperately needed.” Lederman had written legislation several years ago that would allocate 33 percent of the revenues from cannabis to be used in neighborhood that had been impact by illegal cannabis sales as well as the neighborhoods in which the legal dispensaries are located. The fund has not grown as quickly he would have liked due to the slow roll-out of recreational cannabis sales in the city.
There is $800,000 in the fund and Lederman has created a new committee of the council to oversee its distribution and use.
For the entire interview, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBmPpOtBUQQ.