Salem Mayor Prioritizes Housing, Schools In Inaugural Speech

SALEM, MA — In a state of the city speech slightly overshadowed by the delayed swearing in of city council members, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll said Thursday housing and transportation would be "front and center" in 2020. Driscoll, who also chairs the Salem school committee, spoke about plans for the school system without addressing last year's issues that led to the resignation of Superintendent Margarita Ruiz. The only other initiative Driscoll addressed at length in her speech was a park initiative which she linked to the city's 400th anniversary celebration in 2026.

"Transportation, housing, and economic development and jobs are all inextricably linked. We know that," Driscoll said in referencing what have been the cornerstone issues of her administration. "As a vibrant community, all three matter. If don properly, we believe that it’s possible to reduce car traffic and increase jobs through smart housing."

Driscoll said city council could expect to see a series of "familiar" and new initiatives to address traffic and high housing costs in Salem. "To be clear: no one single measure or change alone will help address the need for housing or the price of housing. But, taken together, we can begin to move the needle on this critical issue," she said.

Driscoll's speech and the swearing-in ceremony had originally been scheduled for Monday morning but was delayed when a judge hearing a challenge to Ward 6 City Councilor Megan Riccardi's one-vote election victory barred the city from swearing her in. While school committee members were sworn in on Monday, the city waited until the trial concluded and the order was lifted to swear in all the city council members.

When discussing schools, Driscoll's comments were mostly forward-looking and avoided last year's turmoil. At one point, some parents had called for her resignation as chair of the school committee. But on Thursday, Driscoll said she would work to "continue the forward momentum," noting improved standardized test scores and an increase in state education funding.

"We’ll work with our teachers and staff to find new strategies to build mutual trust and respect, reduce faculty turnover, and strengthen our common commitment to our students," Driscoll said. "We have many of the pieces in place for our schools to really soar and I’m excited to continue this most important and challenging work."

Salem will celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2026 and the city has developed the Imagine Salem 400 program as a lead-up to the milestone. During the state of the city speech, Driscoll announced a new component of Imagine Salem 400 that will focus on the city's parks.

"We want a plan to bring to life the values and aspirations of Salem residents in a manner that’s sustainable and that looks to the future, while celebrating our past," Driscoll said. "A critical component of that will be the Salem Signature Parks initiative. Over the last year, City staff and community stakeholders have collaborated on plans for improvements to some of Salem’s most cherished and heavily utilized public spaces: Forest River Park, Salem Willows, Salem Common, Winter Island, Pioneer Village and Camp Naumkeag."