School Committeewoman opposes choice of Councilor for Charter Review
Dear Editor,
Every 10 years, the City of Chelsea gets to re-evaluate its City Charter, ultimately proposing and making changes to our City’s constitution. Over the past decade, Chelsea has continued to be the welcoming gateway that it has been for well over a century, receiving immigrants from across the globe with open arms as they begin a new life in our city, our Commonwealth, and our country. I was disappointed with the composition of this year’s Charter Review Commission because it lacks the diversity that has made Chelsea what it is today, but one member in particular stood out as antithetical to the values of our community: Councilor Todd Taylor.
Earlier this week, I saw a postcard that Councilor Taylor used for his recent re-election to the Massachusetts Republican State Committee along with his wife, Regina. In it, he proudly vocalized his support for Donald Trump and used xenophobic language in order to draw support from the type of voters that create fear and restlessness in immigrant communities like Chelsea. He said they would fight to prevent Massachusetts from becoming a sanctuary state and to “defend President Trump.”
At Monday night’s City Council meeting I spoke out against Councilor Taylor’s inclusion as a member of the City Charter Review Commission because I believe that he is someone who stands in stark contrast to the values of our community. If the purpose of this commission is to gather feedback from our community and present recommendations, how can we trust that he will have the best interests of our community at heart, instead of the interests of his anti-immigrant right-wing ideology? Given that the 2020 Census is also underway, will people feel empowered and trust in their government to make sure they are counted when these statements and positions are on public display?
After I spoke, Councilor Taylor defended himself by saying that he does not bring national politics into Chelsea. However, as former U.S. House Speaker Tip O’Neill said, “all politics are local,” and this could not be more true right now. The federal government is attacking our immigrant communities in a manner never seen before. Our residents feel threatened by the Trump administration, and Councilor Taylor stands in support of this, generating fear within our community.
Regarding my asking for him to step down from the Charter Review Commission, he said that I would also love for him to step down from his seat on the City Council. However, he was duly elected to this office, and thus it is his right to be a City Councilor for the duration of his term. Being on the Charter Review Commission, however, is not his right. It is a privilege that can be afforded to him by the City Council President. I believe that his membership in this Commission will create an atmosphere of fear that will taint the democratic process of the Charter Review Commission, and for that reason ask that he step down from his position, or that the City Council reconsider affording him this privilege by whichever process they deem proper.
As a member of the Chelsea School Committee, I support our immigrant students and families, and we need to speak up for them and the rest of our community. We are a welcoming city and we need to live up to those ideals as we continue to work towards an inclusive and just society where no one lives in fear.
Marisol Santiago
Chelsea School
Committee District 3