Matt St. Hilaire: Beverly City Council Candidate Profile

Beverly MA

28 October, 2021

12:58 PM

Description

BEVERLY, MA — Matt St. Hilaire is seeking to return to the Beverly City Council as its Ward 6 councilor. The 44-year-old father of three is a Beverly High alumnus who earned a bachelor's degree from Villanova University in 1999. He served as a Beverly City Councilor At-Large from 2013 to 2017. St. Hilaire told Patch he is looking to bring his experience and ability to get things done in government to the City Council at a time when it will decide how to spend the city's $12.6 million in American Rescue Plan funding and steer coronavirus recovery. The citywide election is on Nov. 2. Campaign website Matt St. Hilaire on Facebook Why are you seeking elective office? I am running for City Council because I love my community, because I am invested in the future of our city and because I have the experience to effectively represent the residents of Ward 6 during these challenging times. I grew up in Beverly, I attended Beverly Public Schools and I graduated from Beverly High School in 1995. After high school, I attended Villanova University where I graduated with a degree in political science. My wife, Liz, grew up in Beverly Farms and graduated two years behind me at Beverly High School. We have been married 16 years now and we live in Beverly Farms where we are raising three children who all attend Beverly Public Schools. We actually have a child at every level of the school system this year. Our family is active and involved in our community. We help organize events and activities at the Hastings House and have supported the Farms-Prides Community Association for years. We also support the Beverly Farms Improvement Society, our local business community and our kids' schools. We love living in Beverly Farms and the city of Beverly and we do everything we can to help our neighbors and our community. My professional career has been dedicated to public service, and I have worked in government at both the local and state levels. I served as a City Councilor At-Large for two terms serving as Chair of the Legal Affairs and Ordinances sub-committee and on the Finance & Property subcommittee. I have also worked for Gov. Charlie Baker in various capacities including serving in the Governor'.s Office and as Chief Human Resources Officer at the MBTA. I currently work in the private sector as a Chief HR Officer and as a human resources leader. I have been responsible for developing DEI-related strategies and work plans and for leading and managing COVID-19 workforce response policies and protocols. I understand government and have learned how to get things done and I believe my experience and proven track record set me apart in this race. The single most pressing issue facing our city is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it. The biggest issue facing Beverly is the same issue facing almost every community — recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and utilizing the $12.6 million in federal ARPA funds that Beverly is set to receive as part of The American Rescue Plan. The ARPA funds are designed to help local governments respond to the COVID-19 emergency and bring back jobs. There is clearly a lot of hurt and need in our community as a result of the pandemic and this funding is a huge one-time opportunity to help our local businesses and non-profit organizations that have suffered. It is also important that we be thoughtful in how we spend this funding to maximize its full potential. The next city council will be charged with approving the use of this funding and I view this as one of the big issues facing our City over the next several months. What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I believe my experience and proven track record set me apart in this race. I have extensive work experience in government at both the local and state levels. I served as a City Councilor At-Large in Beverly for two terms and have worked in state government in a number of roles including serving as an aide to Govs. Paul Cellucci, Jane Swift and Charlie Baker in the Governor's Office and as the Chief Human Resources Officer at the MBTA. I currently work in the private sector as a Chief HR Officer and I have been responsible for developing DEI-related strategies and work plans and for leading and managing COVID-19 workforce response policies and protocols. The residents of Ward 6 know what to expect from me and they have been my biggest supporters in my previous runs for office. They can count on me to be a hard worker who never misses a meeting, to be responsive to their needs and questions, to be transparent and provide them with updates on the big issues facing our city and to be a leader who is never afraid to stand up for their interests. My experience and the relationships I've built across Beverly and in government will enable me to effectively represent the residents of Ward 6. How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently? Overall, I give everyone high marks for their efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our first responders, including our police and fire personnel, were truly heroic in putting themselves in harm's way in order to keep us safe. Our teachers and school administrators were equally heroic in doing their very best for our kids. I give Mayor (Mike) Cahill credit for his frequent communications throughout the pandemic and for steering the city's finances through a difficult time of uncertainty as well as can be expected. There haven't been a lot of easy answers and I think everyone did the best they could. As we look ahead, I think it's important that we focus on recovery, that our city government permanently adopt some of the "new ways" of doing things and that we re-assess our planning to reflect our new reality. Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. My focus will be on COVID-19 recovery including the use of the $12.6 million in federal ARPA funding the city of Beverly is set to receive, providing responsive and effective constituent services, educating our kids, ensuring public safety and making sure Ward 6 gets its fair share of road and sidewalk maintenance funding. What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? During my time on the City Council, I never missed a meeting and was responsive to constituent concerns. I supported Beverly's families by fighting to eliminate the full-day kindergarten fee and for smaller class sizes in our schools. And I supported the funding of our new middle school. I advocated for Beverly's taxpayers by opposing the city's practice of assuming a maximum property tax increase every year and I supported the creation and build-up of the city's first Stabilization Fund. Beverly is facing difficult budgetary decisions and the residents of Ward 6 contribute more in property taxes than any other part of Beverly. I am well positioned to represent them in the budget process. I worked hard as a city councilor and always did my homework. I was well prepared for every decision, big or small and I evaluated issues based on the merits. I wasn't afraid of standing up for those in need or of political pressure as demonstrated by my work advocating for Beverly's homeless. I conducted citizen surveys and communicated with constituents through social media and regular newsletters. It is often said that past performance is the best indicator of future success. Residents can be confident that I am up for this job.