Salem is a city with a Mayor and City Council. The neighborhoods of Salem are divided into seven wards, and further into voting precincts which determine where you go to vote in elections. Check out this Ward Map to see which ward you live in.
Each ward elects one Ward Councilor to represent their interests on City Council. Then everyone in Salem elects four Councilors at Large who represent the whole city "at large". These elections are non-partisan.
Salem’s Major Government Officials
Mayor:
| Dominick Pangallo | Mayor of Salem | (978) 619-5600 | mayor@salem.org |
City Councilors:
|
Alice Merkl (Our actual favorite person! |
Councilor At Large | 978-621-9693 | amerkl@salem.com |
| Ty Hapworth | Councilor At Large | 207-659-4755 | thapworth@salem.com |
| Kyle Davis | Councilor At Large | 978-995-4818 | kdavis@salem.com |
| Conrad Prosniewski | Councilor At Large | 978-375-7221 | cprosniewski@salem.com |
| Cindy Jerzylo | Ward 1 Councilor | 978-394-6780 | cjerzylo@salem.com |
| Caroline Watson-Felt | Ward 2 Councilor | 978-515-3593 | cwatsonfelt@salem.com |
| Patti Morsillo | Ward 3 Councilor | 978-317-4697 | pmorsillo@salem.com |
| John Harvey | Ward 4 Councilor | 978-494-1144 | jharvey@salem.com |
| Jeff Cohen | Ward 5 Councilor | 978-587-1443 | jcohen@salem.com |
| Meg Stott | Ward 6 Councilor - City Council President | 781-486-3525 | mstott@salem.com |
| Andy Varela | Ward 7 Councilor | 978-548-8455 | avarela@salem.com |
What can I ask my city councilors about?
You can reach out to your ward councilor for anything related to your neighborhood, the city, laws in the area, complaints, concerns, or comments about the City of Salem (potholes on your street, why that Comcast truck has been parked in front of your house for a week, if there are plans to put public art on that blank wall, questions about items on the city council agenda, etc). They're your main point of contact in Salem's city government. The councilors at large are worth contacting alongside your ward councilor about these so they're kept in the loop (and for accountability)! They typically have more information about cross-ward and citywide issues.
Each city councilor, ward AND at large, also sits on various boards and committees that meet individually to deal with different genres, if you will, of city issues. So if you live in Ward 2 but have a question about ADA accessibility on Essex street, you'd want to contact both Caroline Watson-Felt, the Ward 2 councilor, AND Jeff Cohen, the city council liaison for the Commission on Disabilities. You can contact all city councilors at once by emailing councillors@salem.com, which is helpful for showing support or dissent for things the council is voting on!
Wait, WHAT does a committee do?
When something goes to committee, like an ordinance, amendment, zoning issue, etc, it means that a few councillors + other appointed commissioners work separately on an issue before it gets voted on by city council. Committees and boards are basically like focus groups that specialize in different areas; there are committees for issues like housing, sustainability, historic preservation, etc. Find a whole list of Salem's boards and committees here!
How can I get involved directly in city government?
City Council and Committee meetings are open to the public, and are the best way to get an up-close look at the councilors and the issues the city is focusing on. It's also the best way to get your councilors familiar with you, too! These meetings are scheduled for the second and fourth Thursdays of every month (pending holidays and weather) and are livestreamed through Zoom, so you can watch and even give Public Testimony from home (more on Public Testimony later!) Recordings of these meetings are posted on the Salem Access Television YouTube Channel, if you want to get an ear for the language before diving in live. A Witch the Voter is at every regular City Council Meeting, so if you want to attend IRL with a buddy you can meet us outside HausWitch at 6:45 on meeting nights to walk over together.
Once you're feeling familiar with the city council and committees, you should consider applying to serve on a board or even running in the next election!
What are organizations that can help keep me updated on local politics?
Witch the Vote, of course! But also keep an eye on the Salem League of Women Voters, the Salem Commoner, Salem News, and SATV YouTube. You can also search Facebook for groups and pages like your neighborhood association and the Community Life Center on Bridge Street which hosts info sessions and forums.
