Questions for the Candidates

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – Questions for the Candidates

This publication is intended to provide questions for the candidates and residents to consider before the 2025 municipal election. Elections represent critical periods for a society to set agendas and initiate new approaches to resolve community concerns. We offer the following to provoke discussion, debate, and potentially decision as the voters of Worcester select their leaders for the 2026-2027 political cycle.

The City of Worcester operates under a Council-Manager form of government with a popularly elected Mayor, known as a modified Plan E form of government. The Worcester Public Schools (WPS) system is a quasi-independent department of the City.

The City Council is the City’s legislative body while the City Manager serves as chief executive officer. The City Council is made up of 11 members—six elected citywide (or at-large) and five elected from districts. The Mayor is the candidate who receives the most votes in the mayoral election and wins an at-large City Council seat. All at-large candidates are automatically entered into the mayoral race, and have the option of withdrawing their name from consideration for Mayor. This year’s deadline for withdrawal is September 9. In addition to his or her role as City Councilor, the Mayor serves as the ceremonial head of the government and chairs both the City Council and School Committee. The City Council hires the City Manager and can remove him or her by majority vote. The City Manager hires all City employees (except the City Clerk, City Auditor, and WPS employees), oversees City operations, and presents the City Council with an annual budget that must be approved by June 30 of each year. The City Council has the authority to reduce the City Manager’s proposed budget, but not increase it. The approved budget must be balanced.

The Worcester School Committee is the WPS’s legislative body while the Superintendent of Schools serves as chief executive officer. The School Committee consists of nine members, two at-large members and six district committee members. The Mayor serves as the Chair. The School Committee approves the district budget, and has authority to transfer within line item accounts, so long as the overall amount remains within the City’s appropriation. Additionally, the School Committee may hire or remove by majority vote the Superintendent and may establish and appoint the following key positions by recommendation of the Superintendent: Assistant or Associate Superintendent, School Business Administrator, Administrator of Special Education, School Physician, Registered Nurses, and Legal Counsel.

City Council and School Committee elections are held in odd-numbered years.

2025 MUNICIPAL ELECTION I Tuesday, November 4, Polls Open from 7am-8pm

Positions marked with an asterisk (*) required a Preliminary Election due to the size of the candidate field. The Preliminary Election was held on Tuesday, September 2 for City Councilor At-Large (to narrow the field to 12) and School Committee District E (to narrow the field to 2). Mayoral Candidates are italicized.