Q&A With Councilor-at-Large Candidate Anne Manning-Martin

This is one of nine Q&As with the candidates running for an at-large seat on the Peabody City Council. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

• Name: Anne Manning-Martin
• Age: 47
• Occupation: Manager at Mass. Department of Correction
• Political office: City Council, 6 years (At-Large, 2008 - present); School Committee, 8 years (2000-2007)

Peabody Patch: If elected to the City Council, what issue would be first priority for you? What is one area you would like to see the city devote more resources to?

Anne Manning-Martin: Over the last few years, Peabody has made many sound investments in education. We are a city that is committed to providing the best education possible to our students by moving forward with a new middle school and new regional vocational school. We also quite recently made a significant investment by purchasing necessary state-of-the-art safety equipment for our firefighters. I would like to see the city make more timely purchases in replacing essential safety equipment for both our police and fire departments in order to keep our men and women safe while they protect and serve us. A recent poll conducted of citizens asking what they think of our downtown indicated that many citizens do not feel safe downtown. Citizens have a right to feel safe. I would like to see a more attention and resources devoted to providing citizens a sense of safety in the heart of our city with beefed up police presence with foot and bicycle patrols enforcing our ordinances and continued traffic enforcement.

Patch: Peabody property taxes continue to be among the lowest in the area, along with many other fees homeowners or residents may pay in the city. Are taxpayers' getting their money's worth; is the city not spending enough to provide services, education, etc; or are Peabody taxpayers still paying too much?
Manning-Martin: The city of Peabody has benefited over the years by a balanced approach when it came to city finances. This winning formula has left the city in good financial shape with more in reserve funds than any other surrounding city or town. I have advocated in the past to spend more in reserves while giving the taxpayers a reprieve by not raising property taxes. I believe there will be no better year than this year to do just that. The taxpayers have worked with us throughout this dismal economy and kept us afloat while we were able to continue to make investments in our future. This is the year we should show our gratitude for such loyalty, understanding and commitment and not raise the property tax, at all.

Patch: Under the current mayor's administration there has been a concentrated effort to reinvigorate "pride in Peabody," which many people in the city have rallied around. What is one thing you are proud of about Peabody?
Manning-Martin: With all due respect to the mayor as it is the Patch who has phrased this question, there are many in this city, myself included, who have never lost their pride in Peabody and need no incentive to proudly boast about our hometown. Many, whose grandparents and great-grandparents have toiled 
in Peabody’s leather factories, cleaned our streets, educated our children, fought many fires, and protected generations of Peabodyites since the city’s birth, have never once wavered in our pride in Peabody. We are all one city. We are all proud Peabodyites. We believe in giving back to our community, helping our neighbors and working together for a better brighter tomorrow for us all, and we’ve been here doing just that… all along.