Bill Taylor plans to seek a seat on the Haverhill City Council, outlining a platform Monday that includes addressing the high cost of housing, putting more money into public schools and police reform.
Forty-year-old Taylor is well known for being active behind the scenes in local politics. In a statement, he also calls for more affordable housing, reconstruction of the eastern part of downtown, city support of small businesses, promoting Black and Latino leadership and addressing the problem of combined sewer overflows into the Merrimack River.
“I love Haverhill, but the city also clearly faces many systemic challenges,” Taylor statement noted. “Housing is increasingly unaffordable. Our schools have been underfunded for decades. Much of our downtown needs to be rebuilt and our small business sector needs to be revitalized. Our antiquated sewer system dumps millions of gallons of wastewater into the Merrimack each year. And we’re in the midst of a racial reckoning—one that must continue.”
Candidates may begin taking out nomination papers from the Haverhill City Clerk’s office Monday, May 3. If needed, a preliminary election takes place Tuesday, Sept. 14, and the final election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 2.
He added he’ll advocate for police reform to “increase accountability, build community trust, and provide the department with the resources it needs to keep all of us safe.”
Taylor said Haverhill needs leaders “who will recognize the fierce urgency of these days and take bold, decisive action” and work with residents and one another.
Taylor works as a data center administrator in downtown Boston. He graduated summa cum laude from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with All-College Honors, a bachelor’s in Philosophy and a concentration in Law, Ethics and Society in 2002. He’s married and has two daughters, ages six and four.