Joseph M. Petty is an American attorney, politician and the current mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts.[1]
Early life and education
Raised in Worcester, Petty graduated from Holy Name Central Catholic High School. He attended Nichols College and earned a Juris Doctor degree from New England School of Law.[1]
Political career
Petty was first elected to the Worcester City Council in 1997. After serving six two-year terms on the council, he mounted a campaign for mayor in 2011 when incumbent Joseph C. O'Brien decided not to seek reelection due to family concerns.[2][3] He defeated former mayor Konstantina Lukes, perennial candidate Bill Coleman, and Carmen Carmona by earning 48% of votes cast.[4] During the preceding campaign, Petty received the endorsement of Congressman Jim McGovern.[5]
As mayor, Petty has overseen the partial demolition and redevelopment of Worcester Common Outlets, an abandoned downtown mall. This effort involves recreating a direct roadway between Union Station and Worcester City Hall and Common that was lost when the mall was built in the 1960s.[6]
In May 2012, Petty brokered a tax reform compromise among city councilors. Some councilors favored a sharp decrease in the city's commercial tax rate, while others wished to maintain the lowest possible residential tax rate. Petty proposed a comprise that decreased the commercial tax rate by $5.57 and raised the residential tax rate ¢92 per $1000 of assessed value. This tax reform, which passed on a 6–5 vote, was the subject of controversy, for it came in the wake of a revelation that annual property revaluations would lead to significantly higher commercial tax bills.[7] While the city's assessors contended that the increased tax bills were due to reforms, such as considering a building's exact vacancy rate when calculating its assessment, other figures accused past administrations of improperly overriding assessments to provide lower tax bills.[8] He was reelected to a second term in 2013. He was reelected to a third term in 2015.
In early 2017, Petty apologized after he was caught on tape making disparaging remarks about people protesting a city council proposal. Earlier in the evening, he had thanked the protestors, saying they made Worcester proud.[9]
He was reelected to a fourth term in 2017. In 2019, Petty was reelected to a fifth term. This made him the first-ever mayor in the history of Worcester to receive a fifth two-year term as mayor.[10] In 2021, Petty won a sixth term as mayor and thirteenth term as a city councilor.[11]
During the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, he gave his endorsement to Elizabeth Warren's candidacy.[12]
On February 22, 2022, Petty filed to run for Massachusetts Senate's 1st Worcester district.[13] He had previously been floated as a potential candidate following incumbent Harriette L. Chandler's decision to retire.[14] He officially announced his candidacy for the seat on March 9.[15] He was defeated in the September 6 Democratic primary by Robyn Kennedy.[16]
Personal life
Petty is married to his wife Gayle Perrone and they have three children.[17]
References
- ^ a b "Mayor Petty". Retrieved January 5, 2011.
- ^ "Two Minutes With . . . Joe Petty". Worcester Magazine. December 29, 2011. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
- ^ Nick Kotsopoulos (September 17, 2011). "O'Brien ends re-election bid for city mayor; Family challenges cited". Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
- ^ "Election Results". Retrieved January 5, 2011.
- ^ Nick Kotsopoulos (October 23, 2011). "In mayor's race, no clear leader". Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
- ^ Walter Bird (July 4, 2012). "GoLocalWorcester Sits Down With Worcester Mayor". GoLocal Worcester. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
- ^ Walter Bird (May 23, 2012). "Worcester's Contentious Tax Debate". GoLocal Worcester. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
- ^ Jeremy Shulkin (May 16, 2012). "Worcester's Contentious Tax Debate". Worcester Magazine. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved July 5, 2012.
- ^ Kyle Scott Clauss (February 2, 2017). "Worcester Mayor Caught on Hot Mic Calling Trump Protestors 'Freakin' Morons'". Boston Magazine. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ Kotsopoulos, Nick (November 5, 2019). "Petty wins historic fifth term as Worcester mayor". telegram.com. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
- ^ Elfland, Mike (September 28, 2021). "What you need to know about the Nov. 2 municipal election in Worcester". Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
- ^ DeCosta-Kilpa, Nik (February 25, 2020). "Read the full list of Elizabeth Warren's Massachusetts endorsements". Boston.com. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
- ^ McNamara, Neal (February 22, 2022). "Worcester Mayor Petty Seeking State Senate Seat, Filing Indicates". Worcester, MA Patch. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Cartolano, Marco (January 26, 2022). "Early names emerge in race to succeed Sen. Harriette Chandler". Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Turken, Sam (March 9, 2022). "Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty running for state Senate". WGBH-TV. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
- ^ Cartolano, Marco (September 6, 2022). "Robyn Kennedy in line to claim 1st Worcester seat in state Senate". Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ "About Joe". Retrieved January 5, 2011.