Joseph Petty
{{short description|American politician}}
{{For|the 19th-century New York state senator|Joseph H. Petty}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Joseph Petty
| image = File:Mayor Joe Petty State Senate Announcement Photo (cropped).jpg
| caption = Petty in 2022
| office = Mayor of Worcester
| term_start = January 2, 2012
| term_end =
| predecessor = Joseph C. O'Brien
| successor =
| office1 = Member of the Worcester City Council
| term_start1 = 1998
| term_end1 =
|party = Democratic
|otherparty =
|spouse = Gayle Perrone
|partner =
|relations =
|children = 3
|residence = Worcester, Massachusetts
|alma_mater = Nichols College
New England Law
|occupation =
|profession = Attorney
|committees =
|religion =
|signature =
|signature_alt=
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
Joseph M. Petty is an American attorney, politician and the current mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts.{{cite web |url= http://www.worcesterma.gov/mayor|title=Mayor Petty |date= |publisher=|accessdate=January 5, 2011}}
Early life and education
Raised in Worcester, Petty graduated from Holy Name Central Catholic High School. He attended Nichols College and earned a Juris Doctor degree from New England School of Law.
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.{{Cite news |url=http://www.worcestermag.com/speak-out/two-minutes/Two-Minutes-WithJoe-Petty-136367408.html |title=Two Minutes With . . . Joe Petty |date=December 29, 2011 |work=Worcester Magazine |accessdate=January 5, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114034157/http://www.worcestermag.com/speak-out/two-minutes/Two-Minutes-WithJoe-Petty-136367408.html |archivedate=January 14, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}{{Cite news|title=O'Brien ends re-election bid for city mayor; Family challenges cited |author=Nick Kotsopoulos |date=September 17, 2011|work=Worcester Telegram & Gazette }} He defeated former mayor Konstantina Lukes, perennial candidate Bill Coleman, and Carmen Carmona by earning 48% of votes cast.{{cite web|url=http://www.worcesterma.gov/city-clerk/elections/election-results|title=Election Results|date=|publisher=|accessdate=January 5, 2011|archive-date=September 19, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100919011909/http://www.worcesterma.gov/city-clerk/elections/election-results|url-status=dead}} During the preceding campaign, Petty received the endorsement of Congressman Jim McGovern.{{Cite news|title=In mayor's race, no clear leader |author=Nick Kotsopoulos |date=October 23, 2011|work=Worcester Telegram & Gazette }}
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 and Worcester City Hall and Common that was lost when the mall was built in the 1960s.{{Cite news|url=http://www.golocalworcester.com/politics/worcester-mayor-weathers-controversies-keeps-eye-on-citys-future/ |title=GoLocalWorcester Sits Down With Worcester Mayor |author= Walter Bird |date=July 4, 2012|work=GoLocal Worcester |accessdate=July 5, 2012}}
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.{{Cite news|url=http://www.golocalworcester.com/news/worcesters-contentious-tax-debate/ |title=Worcester's Contentious Tax Debate |author= Walter Bird |date=May 23, 2012|work=GoLocal Worcester |accessdate=July 5, 2012}} 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.{{Cite news |url=http://www.worcestermag.com/city-desk/top-news/Commercial-property-owners-alarmed-not-panicking-yet-151759745.html |title=Worcester's Contentious Tax Debate |author=Jeremy Shulkin |date=May 16, 2012 |work=Worcester Magazine |accessdate=July 5, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120521000721/http://www.worcestermag.com/city-desk/top-news/Commercial-property-owners-alarmed-not-panicking-yet-151759745.html |archivedate=May 21, 2012 |df=mdy-all }} 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.{{Cite news|url=http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2017/02/02/worcester-mayor-protestors-morons/ |title=Worcester Mayor Caught on Hot Mic Calling Trump Protestors 'Freakin' Morons'
|author= Kyle Scott Clauss |date=Feb 2, 2017|work=Boston Magazine |accessdate=Feb 2, 2017}}
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.{{cite web |last1=Kotsopoulos |first1=Nick |title=Petty wins historic fifth term as Worcester mayor |url=https://www.telegram.com/news/20191105/petty-wins-historic-fifth-term-as-worcester-mayor |publisher=telegram.com |accessdate=29 November 2019 |language=en |date=5 November 2019}} In 2021, Petty won a sixth term as mayor and thirteenth term as a city councilor.{{cite web |last1=Elfland |first1=Mike |title=What you need to know about the Nov. 2 municipal election in Worcester |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/politics/elections/2021/09/28/what-you-need-know-nov-2-municipal-election-worcester/5882180001/ |website=Telegram & Gazette |access-date=7 October 2021 |date=September 28, 2021}}
During the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, he gave his endorsement to Elizabeth Warren's candidacy.{{cite web |last1=DeCosta-Kilpa |first1=Nik |title=Read the full list of Elizabeth Warren's Massachusetts endorsements |url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/2020/02/25/elizabeth-warren-massachusetts-endorsements/ |website=Boston.com |access-date=11 October 2021 |date=February 25, 2020}}
File:EPA funding for Worcester event F0hc6QBXsAAQA7Z (Elizabeth Warren and Joe Petty).jpg in 2023]]
On February 22, 2022, Petty filed to run for Massachusetts Senate's 1st Worcester district.{{cite web|last=McNamara|first=Neal|url=https://patch.com/massachusetts/worcester/worcester-mayor-petty-running-state-senate-filing-indicates|title=Worcester Mayor Petty Seeking State Senate Seat, Filing Indicates|work=Worcester, MA Patch|date=February 22, 2022|accessdate=February 22, 2022}} He had previously been floated as a potential candidate following incumbent Harriette L. Chandler's decision to retire.{{cite web|last=Cartolano|first=Marco|url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2022/01/26/state-rep-david-leboeuf-worcester-mayor-joseph-petty-could-candidates-race-succeed-sen-harriette-cha/9226475002/|title=Early names emerge in race to succeed Sen. Harriette Chandler|work=Telegram & Gazette|date=January 26, 2022|accessdate=January 27, 2022}} He officially announced his candidacy for the seat on March 9.{{cite web|last=Turken|first=Sam|url=https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2022/03/09/worcester-mayor-joseph-petty-running-for-state-senate|title=Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty running for state Senate|work=WGBH-TV|date=March 9, 2022|accessdate=March 12, 2022}} He was defeated in the September 6 Democratic primary by Robyn Kennedy.{{cite web|last=Cartolano|first=Marco|url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2022/09/06/robyn-kennedy-line-beat-joseph-petty-and-claim-1st-worcester-seat-state-senate/7952290001/|title=Robyn Kennedy in line to claim 1st Worcester seat in state Senate|work=Telegram & Gazette|date=September 6, 2022|accessdate=September 6, 2022}}
Personal life
Petty is married to his wife Gayle Perrone and they have three children.{{cite web|url= http://www.petty4mayor.com/about_joe.htmlayor|title= About Joe|date= |publisher= |accessdate= January 5, 2011}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
References
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{{Succession box
| before = Joseph C. O'Brien
| title = Mayor of Worcester, Massachusetts
| years= January 2, 2011 - present
| after = Incumbent}}
{{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petty, Joseph}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Mayors of Worcester, Massachusetts
Category:Worcester, Massachusetts City Council members
Category:Nichols College alumni
Category:New England Law Boston alumni