Worcester Mayor Joe Petty Explains $35M Sewer Debt Plan and Social Media Comment Decision

“It just gets nasty sometimes, some of the comments and it feeds on itself.”
— Mayor Joe Petty

By-Hank Stolz

Photo-Radio Worcester

WORCESTER, MA- Worcester Mayor Joe Petty joined Talk of the Commonwealth to outline a newly finalized agreement between the City of Worcester and the town of Holden to address a $35 million sewer debt. The agreement establishes a multi-year payment plan designed to limit the financial burden on Worcester residents, with the initial payment of $10 million scheduled for April 1.

According to the Mayor, the payment structure will follow a phased approach over several years, with early payments supported in part by city reserves to reduce the immediate impact on ratepayers. “The manager and Holden have signed an agreement and they’re going to move forward,” Petty said. “We’ve come up with a payment plan… It’s like 10, 10, then five, five, and five over several year periods. So we should have a minimum effect on the rate payers here in the city.” A new service agreement between Worcester and Holden will now need to be negotiated as part of the next phase.

Mayor Petty also addressed the city’s decision to disable comments on its official social media channels, citing ongoing concerns about negativity and unproductive discourse. While acknowledging the importance of public engagement, he emphasized that residents still have multiple ways to communicate directly with city officials.