NEWBUYPORT — Revealing that he has known for months that he would not be seeking another term representing Ward 5, City Councilor Jim McCauley shared why he is seriously considering a run for mayor.
“Last fall, I made a decision not to run for reelection in my ward. And over the last six or eight months, I’ve seen some things that I think we could do better with a change. I think I can represent that change,” McCauley said, earlier this week while sitting down with Daily News staff.
McCauley, 62, has served on City Council for the last six years and is head of services for Nokia’s networks group covering North and South America.
As of Tuesday, McCauley is the only candidate who has taken out nomination papers to succeed Mayor Sean Reardon.
Asked about specific areas of change he would represent, he singled out finances in the city as a main one, noting that it directly connects to a number of different issues going forward and that the city has “spent a lot of money over the last three years.”
“We’ve had significant tax increases. We’ve spent all our levy money, our local receipts. We have limited capacity right now to carry any new debt. The only area of growth is taxes, and they continue to go up,” McCauley said.
He went on to say that affects affordability in the city, “not just housing, but the ability to live in the city in general.”
“We have aging infrastructure. Newcomers buy million-dollar homes and have certain expectations, which can clash with long-time residents who’ve lived here 30 or 40 years and are trying to retire. They’re struggling with the same increases,” McCauley said.
Speaking on how he differs from Reardon, he described himself as more moderate.
“Fiscally conservative, socially liberal. That puts me in the middle,” McCauley said.
He said he feels he has “considerably” more experience managing large groups of people, handling profit and loss, private equity, and other financial matters than Reardon.
“I think a different approach can net different results,” McCauley said.
One issue Reardon and McCauley recently found themselves at opposite ends was the proposed $8.3 million recreation center on Low Street.
On May 13, voters approved a $6.5 million debt exclusion to pay for most of the city’s plan to build the rec. center on land once owned by the National Guard. Out of 15,804 registered voters in the city, 2,543 voted for the measure, while 1,630 voted against it.
McCauley’s wife, Liz McCauley, served as the chairperson for those leading the charge against the project.
Asked if he thought that vote would have any impact on a potential race against Reardon, McCauley said he did not think it would, calling it “old news.”
“That vote’s over. He was on one side; I was on the other. People can form their opinions. On other issues, we’re aligned. Voters will decide whether I can represent their concerns better. Nothing more than that,” McCauley said.
Asked if there was a chance he would step aside from local politics and not return nomination papers, McCauley said he is 75 percent sure he’ll run for mayor and is looking to get through budget season before ramping things up.
“I have not had the physical time to set up the necessary organization needed to run a citywide campaign. I’ll put that in place in early July. In the interim I’m talking to residents and collecting signatures,” McCauley said.
Regarding the choice to not seek reelection for Ward 5, he called it a personal decision.
“Six years is a long time. People who know me know I have two switches, on and off. I’ve been fully engaged. I’ve advocated hard for my constituents,” McCauley said.
He said with many projects in his ward including the Colby Farm, Low Street, and North Atkinson intersection and the Hale Street pedestrian walkway coming due, it felt like the right time to move on.
“We’ve made great progress, and I think my successor can push it over the top,” McCauley said.
As of Tuesday, only Storey Avenue resident Lisa Medina Smith has pulled papers for Ward 5.
Nomination papers must be taken out and returned to the city clerk’s office by Aug. 12 to be on either a potential Sept. 16 preliminary election ballot or in the Nov. 4 municipal election.
Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com.