Who Runs Worcester? 

“The council’s ultimate authority is a ‘nuclear’ option… in practice, the manager defines the playing field.” — Randy Feldman

By-Hank Stolz

Worcester, MA-The Radio Worcester Radio Round table discussion covered three main topics. It began with an in-depth analysis of the Worcester Human Rights Commission’s role and effectiveness following the abrupt resignation of its chair, Guillermo Creamer. The panelists debated the commission’s historical loss of power and its current frustrations with the city manager’s authority.

Randy Feldman on the core frustration of serving on the commission: “Do you really want to serve if you don’t have any real power? That’s what it really comes down to… you don’t have any authority to make any real change. And if that’s the case, do people want to continue to be civically engaged in that way with the city or are there other avenues of civic engagement that would lead to greater change that make more sense?”

George Russell on it not being personal, it’s how it’s set up in the Charter. “Under our plan of government, under the city of Worcester’s plan of government, the city manager has complete control over all the operations of city government… And if the administration had a different way of looking at something, under the plan of government, they have every right in the world to do what they want to do.”

The conversation then broadened to discuss the widespread budget challenges facing Massachusetts municipalities, using Lexington and Boston as examples, and explored contributing factors like rising costs, Proposition 2.5, and state aid.

Finally, the discussion focused on Worcester-specific economic policies, particularly the impact of the dual tax rate on attracting commercial development like hotels, which could bring larger sporting events, like the men’s NCAA Tournament to the DCU Center.

Matt Wally; on the economic impact of the dual tax rate: “If you look at the numbers, Worcester hotel developers will be paying almost twice as much as they would if they built a hotel in one of the surrounding communities.”

“You Don’t Have Authority”: Panel Questions Worcester Commission Role

“Under the plan of government, the city manager has complete control.”

By-Hank Stolz

Worcester, MA-The Radio Worcester Radio Round table discussion covered three main topics. It began with an in-depth analysis of the Worcester Human Rights Commission’s role and effectiveness following the abrupt resignation of its chair, Guillermo Creamer. The panelists debated the commission’s historical loss of power and its current frustrations with the city manager’s authority.

Randy Feldman on the core frustration of serving on the commission: “Do you really want to serve if you don’t have any real power? That’s what it really comes down to… you don’t have any authority to make any real change. And if that’s the case, do people want to continue to be civically engaged in that way with the city or are there other avenues of civic engagement that would lead to greater change that make more sense?”

George Russell on it not being personal, it’s how it’s set up in the Charter. “Under our plan of government, under the city of Worcester’s plan of government, the city manager has complete control over all the operations of city government… And if the administration had a different way of looking at something, under the plan of government, they have every right in the world to do what they want to do.”

The conversation then broadened to discuss the widespread budget challenges facing Massachusetts municipalities, using Lexington and Boston as examples, and explored contributing factors like rising costs, Proposition 2.5, and state aid.

Finally, the discussion focused on Worcester-specific economic policies, particularly the impact of the dual tax rate on attracting commercial development like hotels, which could bring larger sporting events, like the men’s NCAA Tournament to the DCU Center.

Matt Wally; on the economic impact of the dual tax rate: “If you look at the numbers, Worcester hotel developers will be paying almost twice as much as they would if they built a hotel in one of the surrounding communities.”

Roundtable Debates Mental Health Response Lawsuit, Potholes, and $25M Sewer Borrowing Plan

“The Department of Justice report that came out a December ago clearly said that the Worcester Police Department responds with excessive and unreasonable force to behavioral health problems and does not deescalate in many of the times where deescalation would be the most appropriate way and not the use of force.”
— Randy Feldman

By-Hank Stolz

Photo-Radio Worcester

Worcester, MA-The Radio Roundtable began with an analysis of a lawsuit filed by nonprofits against the city regarding police being the primary responders to mental health emergencies.

Randy Feldman argued the lawsuit was part of a broader national effort to change how society responds to mental health crises “The Department of Justice report that came out a December ago clearly said that the Worcester Police Department responds with excessive and unreasonable force to behavioral health problems and does not deescalate in many of the times where deescalation would be the most appropriate way and not the use of force.” George Russell expressed skepticism, suggesting such lawsuits were often a lucrative business for national law firms and pointed out that the city already had social workers who collaborate with the police, emphasizing the danger of sending social workers to volatile situations alone. Matt Wally was surprised by the lawsuit, noted it was brought by national, not local, nonprofits, and believed the city was already making efforts to address the issue.

The discussion then shifted to the persistent problem of potholes. George Russell contended that a primary cause of potholes was utility companies not properly repairing trenches after digging up streets and that the city’s public works department needed to hold them accountable. He also stressed that the city’s repair system was reactive, requiring citizens to report potholes via the 311 app. Matt Wally framed the pothole problem as a non-controversial, operational issue that should be low-hanging fruit for the city to fix, questioning if there was a procedural disagreement between the city administration and the Department of Public Works. Randy Feldman asserted that fixing the potholes was fundamentally a matter of resource allocation, suggesting funds could be reallocated from other city-funded initiatives like Discover Worcester.

The third major topic was the city’s decision to borrow over $25 million to help pay a $35 million sewer judgment to the town of Holden, with Matt Wally saying, “Yeah. I think you got to pull the bandaid off. I think this is the right approach… It’s time to do this.”