The first contender for one of Haverhill’s new Ward-based City Council seats stepped forward Tuesday, saying she wants to participate in the city’s “wave of change.”
Carmen Garcia-King, of 433 Washington St., said she seeks election to Haverhill’s Ward 2, representing Mount Washington and a portion of downtown and Bradford along the Merrimack River. Garcia-King said overseeing construction of the new Dr. Albert B. Consentino School is one of her top priorities.
“Consentino is a huge project and I know it means a lot to the community. I will play a role in streamlining anything that needs to done for the city and for the betterment of the kids,” she told WHAV.
Garcia-King, whose primary language is English, but also speaks Spanish and has knowledge of other languages, said she has lived in Haverhill 10 years and purchased her current home four years ago. She lives with her husband of 16 years and son, a public school student. She has been employed eight years by MassHire Merrimack Valley Career Center, operated by Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill and Lawrence.
She said she is just beginning to organize her candidacy and will announce a campaign website and email shortly.
Haverhill voters favored ward-based City Council and School Committee representation by a 2-1 margin in a non-binding 2021 referendum. Last year, the city’s home rule petition was approved by the legislature and governor.
The City Council expands to 11 members with seven city councilors elected by ward and four others elected at-large. The School Committee will have seven ward members, three citywide representatives and the mayor as tiebreaker. The legislation also reduces School Committee terms from four to two years, but those elected to four-year terms in 2021 are permitted to complete their terms of office.