Dear Concerned Citizen, 

My name is Kate Toomey and I’m running for the Worcester City Council.  For the last six years I have been a member of the Worcester School Committee.  I have served as chair of the Vocational Education subcommittee of the School Committee.  I also gained a renewed admiration for adults who go back to school.  I was a strong supporter of Adult Education, literacy and English language learning for adults. 

But now I want to turn my attention to the city as a whole.  I will work to make our city a better place to raise our families.  I will fight for our neighborhoods, our parks and our schools.  But most importantly I will fight for you. 

Almost everyone agrees that Worcester is changing.  But we have to make sure it’s changing for the better.  We need economic development downtown to create jobs. 

But we also need safe streets, good parks and a stable tax base so that people want to live here. 

I love the unique neighborhoods, traditions and history of Worcester.  You won’t find someone who will fight harder to preserve those traditions and neighborhoods than me. 

As a mother, Educator and community activist I will bring a common sense approach to solving the challenges facing Worcester.

§          I will advocate for more Community Policing money with our elected state officials and Congressman, to put more police  on our streets and in our neighborhoods. Keeping our police, fire and public works vehicles and equipment in service and   up to date is key to the Police, Fire and Public Works

        employees doing their jobs. 

§          I will work hard to make decisions based on the best long term interests of our city and its future, not on the crisis of the moment.  I will work closely

        with the City Manager, but won’t be afraid of asking tough questions.

§          I will work to help bring new business into the city that will provide jobs for our citizens and broaden our tax-base.    Worcester cannot  afford to become

        a "bedroom" community and lose its prominence as a major urban center in New England. Our economic vitality depends on job growth, good schools,  affordable housing, and reasonable tax rates.    Whether it’s fighting on the City Council Floor or lobbying at the State House or with our members of Congress,      I will do whatever it takes to get the job done.                                                

§          I will continue to advocate for the education of our children and for greater access for adult education and job training, as I have done for the past six years on the School Committee.

§          I will hold regular office hours in the community, bringing City Hall to you.