Worcester Mayor Petty on local issues

Mayor Petty expressed caution about a proposal to levy fees on all vacant lots, noting that some property owners used adjacent lots for family activities and that such a policy could be seen as government overreach. He confirmed the City Council voted 10-0 to recognize International Migrants Day but acknowledged the debate was emotional due to fear within the BIPOC community regarding federal immigration enforcement. He clarified that the Worcester Police Department did not cooperate with ICE on non-criminal immigration enforcement. He spoke positively about the economic and community impact of a new Raising Cane's restaurant, highlighting its job creation and replacement of a former eyesore. He discussed a proposal for colleges and universities to invest 0.5% of their endowments into a community impact fund to help offset the tax revenue lost from exempt properties. He revealed that a forthcoming school report showed a surprising increase in behavioral incidents in grades K-3, while incidents in high schools had decreased. He stated that school resource officers were unlikely to return in their previous capacity, but the police were exploring other ways to build relationships within schools.