Ward 4 City Council candidate Ariana Murrell-Rosario said she will work to reduce city management employee salaries and give residents a property tax credit for home repairs if she is elected.
The Baltimore Street resident and Lewis Street tax preparation firm owner is making her first run for office. Ward 4 encompasses neighborhoods ranging from the Highlands to Lynn Shore Drive, and voters cast ballots on Sept. 17 and in the Nov. 5 final election.
Murrell-Rosario, 45, said her husband, Marino Corsino, and friends including fellow business owners, urged her to run for council. She said her 12 years spent running a Liberty Tax Service franchise taught her business lessons she wants to apply to city government.
As councilor, she said she would review city personnel bylaws to determine if changes are needed to bring top municipal salaries in line with city pay guidelines.
“Tax dollars are eaten up by exorbitant salaries. It creates a situation where public office is about how much money we can take from taxpayers. Salaries should be based on what we can afford so there is money for services,” she said.
She said city management audits should be done every two years with audit results used to help city workers set higher performance standards. Murrell-Rosario said property tax rebates to homeowners who fix up their homes will spur Lynn’s economy and provide “a short term measure to combat urban blight.”
Murrell-Rosario said city officials can do a better job planning for Lynn’s future to bolster its economy. She thinks city planners should work to attract “anchor” stores, like a Lowe’s or Home Depot, to the city.
“We need a big store with small businesses around it to create a bustling shopping area,” she said.
Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination investigators in May declared a finding of lack of probable cause on Murrell-Rosario’s claim that the city discriminated against her on the basis of race and gender.
Murrell-Rosario’s discrimination complaint filed in 2010 centered on disagreements between her and city inspectors dating back to 2006 concerning alterations to her garage. In the complaint she claims “…she was subject to daily harassment by city officials..” and denied the permits “…on the basis of her race and color (Hispanic) and sex.”
City officials, in the complaint, indicated Murrell-Rosario “commenced converting her detached garage into living space without permits.” She has appealed the investigators lack of probable cause finding to the Commission for additional review.
Murrell-Rosario declined to comment on the appeal on her attorney’s advice.
The mother of two said she is a member of the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce and Latino Business Association. She said she moved to Lynn as a teenager and “overcame a lot of challenges” as a single mother and small business woman.
She said those skills will help her push through the council a proposal to map out and focus on areas of the city infested by rats, including Union Street.
“I solve problems,” Murrell-Rosario said.
She is holding a campaign event on Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Tatiana’s on Market Street.
Originally published on ItemLive.com by Thor Jourgensen
Thor Jourgensen can be reached at tjourgensen@itemlive.com.
