Joseph M. Petty is an American attorney, politician and the current
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...
.
Early life and education
Raised in Worcester, Petty graduated from Holy Name Central Catholic High School. He attended
Nichols College
Nichols College is a private business college in Dudley, Massachusetts. Founded in 1815 as Nichols Academy, Nichols College offers both bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as certificate programs.
History
Nichols Academy
The instituti ...
and earned a
Juris Doctor degree from
New England School of Law
New England Law , Boston (formerly New England School of Law) is a private law school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded as Portia School of Law in 1908 and is located in downtown Boston near the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Fina ...
.
Political career
Petty was first elected to the Worcester City Council in 1997. After serving six two-year terms on the council, he mounted a campaign for mayor
in 2011 when incumbent
Joseph C. O'Brien decided not to seek reelection due to family concerns. He defeated former mayor
Konstantina Lukes, perennial candidate Bill Coleman, and Carmen Carmona by earning 48% of votes cast.
During the preceding campaign, Petty received the endorsement of Congressman
Jim McGovern.
As mayor, Petty has overseen the partial demolition and redevelopment of
Worcester Common Outlets, an abandoned downtown mall. This effort involves recreating a direct roadway between
Union Station
A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
and
Worcester City Hall and Common that was lost when the mall was built in the 1960s.
In May 2012, Petty brokered a tax reform compromise among city councilors. Some councilors favored a sharp decrease in the city's commercial tax rate, while others wished to maintain the lowest possible residential tax rate. Petty proposed a comprise that decreased the commercial tax rate by $5.57 and raised the residential tax rate ¢92 per $1000 of assessed value. This tax reform, which passed on a 6–5 vote, was the subject of controversy, for it came in the wake of a revelation that annual property revaluations would lead to significantly higher commercial tax bills. While the city's assessors contended that the increased tax bills were due to reforms, such as considering a building's exact vacancy rate when calculating its assessment, other figures accused past administrations of improperly overriding assessments to provide lower tax bills. He was reelected to a second term
in 2013. He was reelected to a third term
in 2015.
In early 2017, Petty apologized after he was caught on tape making disparaging remarks about people protesting a city council proposal. Earlier in the evening, he had thanked the protestors, saying they made Worcester proud.
He was reelected to a fourth term
in 2017.
In 2019, Petty was reelected to a fifth term. This made him the first-ever mayor in the history of Worcester to receive a fifth two-year term as mayor. In 2021, Petty won a sixth term as mayor and thirteenth term as a city councilor.
During the
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, he gave his endorsement to
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...
's
candidacy.
On February 22, 2022, Petty filed to run for
Massachusetts Senate's 1st Worcester district
Massachusetts Senate's 1st Worcester district in the United States is one of 40 legislative districts of the Massachusetts Senate. It covers portions of Worcester county. Democrat Robyn Kennedy of Worcester has represented the district since 2 ...
. He had previously been floated as a potential candidate following incumbent
Harriette L. Chandler's decision to retire. He officially announced his candidacy for the seat on March 9. He was defeated in the September 6 Democratic primary by Robyn Kennedy.
Personal life
Petty is married to his wife Gayle Perrone and they have three children.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petty, Joseph
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Mayors of Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts City Council members
Nichols College alumni
New England Law Boston alumni
Massachusetts Democrats
21st-century American politicians