Editor’s note: The following story is part of a series profiling those running for Newburyport City Council this fall.
NEWBURYPORT — As seven faces compete to fill five available at-large City Council seats in November, incumbent Mark Wright shared why he wants to continue serving.
“I enjoy making a difference. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. I like representing people, representing the constituents. There’s a lot of people that aren’t as involved in the day-to-day stuff that goes on in the city and they need representation,” Wright said.
Joining him in the race are fellow incumbents Ed Cameron, Heather Shand and Afroz Khan, as well as current Ward 4 City Councilor Ben Harman, School Committee member Sarah Hall and Prospect Street resident Rani Eng. The general election is Nov. 4.
Wright, 60, has served four years as an at-large councilor, wrapping up his second term this winter.
In terms of experience outside City Hall, Wright said he has spent his career in the banking industry, currently working at Salem Five Bank. He also served on the School Committee from 2004 to 2008.
“I’ve lived in the city since 1996,” the Plum Island resident said.
Wright is married to local real estate agent Lela Wright. They have three adult-age children.
Asked about what he is most proud of over his two terms, Wright started off by addressing how he has pulled from his background.
“I think I’ve contributed to the budgets, budget and finance, working through all those things. Being able to understand all the school issues that come up,” Wright said.
In terms of specifics, the South African native brought up short-term rental regulations that the City Council adopted in October 2023.
A maximum of six guests are allowed in owner-owned units under the regulations that also require homeowners to occupy their primary residence if the unit is rented for more than 120 consecutive days. Units on Plum Island, however, are allowed 12 guests and the property owner would not be required to be on-site.
Investor-owned units are only allowed to operate in the mixed-use, downtown residential area near State Street until June 30, 2027. Such units will continue in perpetuity on Plum Island.
As part of the regulations, property owners must also pay a $250 annual licensing fee.
“We had to create legislation for that because we had on one side residents trying to balance the activity of short-term rentals in the neighborhoods, and then also the needs of short-term rental owners to make sure they could maximize their opportunity,” Wright said.
In terms of issues he said he would want to tackle if he is reelected, he said affordability is the one he hears most about from his constituents.
“Especially because our residential tax base supports most of our revenue, affordability is a big issue,” Wright said.
He said he would try to address stress points in the budget, signaling out schools.
“The schools, which are about 60% of the budget, maybe more if you include all the health benefits, that’s a big union number. It’s unsustainable for the city to continue to have labor contracts that are far in excess of the 2.5 or 3% we can afford to raise a contract by,” Wright said.