Elect Zach Boyer
Ward 5
City Council
New Bedford
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Preliminary Election: October 3rd
Municipal Election: November 7th
Why Boyer?
Community Organizer
As a community organizer I have worked with dozens of volunteers throughout New Bedford, which has gave me insight into what the people of New Bedford truly want out of their elected officials. They want to be seen and listened to.
Grassroots organizing is simple and effective: meeting community members where they are and simply having a conversation about their unique life experiences within New Bedford.
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I currently serve as the Planning Director for a local agency, administering Federal and State funds to assist the most marginalized within our community.
Past Work
Most recently, I served as the Treasurer for Carmen Amaral's campaign for Ward 3 and volunteered for Paul Heroux's campaign for Sheriff.
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I began working with the Coalition for Social Justice in 2013. The first campaign I worked on was Paid Family Medical Leave, of which I am now directly benefiting from due to the recent birth of my first child! The knowledge and experience I gained from interning with and then volunteering for CSJ led me to work with local unions after I graduated from UMass Dartmouth.
I worked with the Mass. Teachers Association on Ballot Question 2 in 2016, to combat the expansion of Charter Schools in Massachusetts. Then I organized with the Mass Nurses Association to pass Safe Patient Limits on Question 1. My final full-time organizer role was with Mass Senior Action, where we organized elders throughout the state to expand Medicare benefits.
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About Me
I fell in love with New Bedford the moment I began attending my alma-mater UMass Dartmouth. Between the vibrant waterfront, the beauty of Buttonwood Park & the bustling Downtown, it's easy to love our city.
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After living in 4 different apartments throughout New Bedford for the past decade, I decided it was time to commit and now I am a proud homeowner and community member right near Buttonwood.
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I live in a multi-generational household with my partner Brooke, son Leon, mother, and two dogs Mulligan & Birdie.
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Since my last campaign for Ward 5 City Council, I've deepened my participation in the local community by serving local agencies and organizations to deliver highly-needed programs and services to residents of Greater New Bedford.
Issues + Priorities:
My Priorities:
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Pedestrian Safety around Buttonwood Park
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Expand Senior Services
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Term Limits for all local offices
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Support Affordable Housing efforts
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Vocal advocate for Unions & non-profits
Pedestrian Safety:
I plan to address the issue of pedestrian safety throughout Ward 5, and the entire city of New Bedford, by working with local and state legislators to secure funding through grants, state budget line items, or any way that we can help fund flashing crosswalk signs.
That also means you don’t need to worry about your taxes getting increased. This model is predicated on education, engineering and enforcement for drivers and pedestrians alike. It seems like a no-brainer due to how popular our parks are and all the traffic in our streets…
We shouldn't need to wait for a tragedy to strike before we address the issue.
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Expanded Senior Services:
A long term goal of mine would be to create a new, state of the art, mixed use Senior Center. Since New Bedford’s elderly population is now over 15,000, the majority of which are low-income and disabled, we need to expand the reach and accessibility of senior services.
Housing our social day program and our senior center’s programs and services under one roof would improve the efficiency that we deliver these services and deepen our commitment to elders who continue to contribute to our community in countless ways. This project will be funded by state formula funding, grants, and utilizing our budget’s existing debt capacity- so there won’t be any need to raise the tax burden on families and small businesses.
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Our Priorities:
Pedestrian safety and senior services only scratch the surface of my campaign’s platform. I will prioritize and support:
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Affordable housing and inclusionary zoning initiatives
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A charter review commission to modernize our city’s charter and create term limits for all local elected offices
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Addressing the opioid epidemic and homelessness
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Ensuring all city council meetings are live streamed and recorded for those with mobility issues or unable to attend the meeting in person, which also includes allowing folks onto the City Council’s viewing balcony again instead of using it for storage
Finally, I will make sure that your voice, and the issues that are important to you, are represented on the City Council by providing reliable and timely constituent services to every resident of Ward 5.
13
Years Living in New Bedford
10
Years of Community Organizing Experience
7
Boards and Committees I Currently Serve
6
Unions &
Non-Profits I Have Organized With
Community Work
