Preceded by Stanley Usovicz Office Mayor of Salem since 2006 Name Kim Driscoll | Spouse Nick Driscoll | |
 | ||
Children Ailish Driscoll, Delaney Driscoll, Nicholas Driscoll | ||
Alma mater Salem State University | ||
Salem mayor kim driscoll keynotes 2013 annual dinner
Kimberley Driscoll (born August 12, 1966) is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is currently the mayor of Salem, and is a member of the Democratic Party.
Contents
Driscoll graduated from Salem State University in 1989. She served as deputy city manager of Chelsea, Massachusetts, and was elected mayor of Salem in 2005, taking office in January 2006 at Salem City Hall. She was re-elected to the position in 2009 with over 80% of the vote, and won again in 2013. Driscoll has considered running for higher office, including United States Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, or Governor of Massachusetts.
In April 2011, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll won’t run against Sen. Scott Brown in the United States Senate seat for Massachusetts.
With Driscoll as Mayor, Salem became one of 110 cities and towns from all regions of the state of Massachusetts designated as Commonwealth "Green Communities." This made the city eligible for municipal renewable power and energy efficiency grants. Then in 2013, Salem got eight stations where drivers can charge their electric cars. This program was paid for by a grant from the state of Massachusetts. Four are located at the Museum Place Mall, near the Peabody Essex Museum, and the other four are located inside the South Harbor garage across the street from the Salem Waterfront Hotel. They were free of charge for two years, allowing people to charge their electric cars and other electric vehicles for up to six hours. Also in 2013, under the leadership of Driscoll and the Salem City Council, the city moved to a mandatory recycling program for trash pick up in the city of Salem.
Kimberley Driscoll obtained a federal grant to cover 90% of the cost of the “Nathaniel Bowditch”, a 92-foot-high speed catamaran that travels from Salem to Boston in 50 minutes and runs from May to October with its maiden voyage on June 22, 2006. The Salem Ferry is named after Nathaniel Bowditch, who was from Salem and wrote the American Practical Navigator.
The ferry was purchased by the current mayor of Salem, Kim Driscoll, with the use of grant money that covered 90% of the $2.1 million purchase price. .
A major point in the waterfront development occurred in 2016 when Driscoll set up for the City of Salem acquisition and redevelopment of the parcel at 289 Derby St. into a gateway park along the waterfront. The parcel has been appraised at $1.4 million. For more than a dozen years, this waterfront parcel has sat vacant and underutilized, along one of our most traveled corridors, which is now bustling with new restaurants, stores and so much more.
In 2016, A Salem Shuttle Water Taxiwas launched (operated under contract for the city by Boston Harbor Cruises, which also operates the Salem Ferry commuter boat.)
Driscoll said in celebrating the launch of the shuttle service “I am thrilled and excited to announce the launch of the Salem Harbor Shuttle service with Boston Harbor Cruises,” Salem Harbor, Salem Maritime National Historic Site.
Mayor Kim Driscoll in a statement. “As we continue to revitalize our historic waterfront and expand public access to this treasured asset, the shuttle service promises to be an integral piece of those efforts. The connections the shuttle will provide will offer a unique method of getting around Salem’s waterfront public parks and sites, both for visitors and residents alike. Just as important, it signals another step forward in our work to make Salem Harbor active, vibrant, and open to all.”
In 2016, City Council gave a green light to a $79,000 grant from the city's Community Preservation Act, money that comes from a small tax surcharge and is dedicated to specific uses, including recreation. Numerous park renovatios have transformed the Salem Parks under the leadership of Driscoll as Mayor. In May 2017, Kim Driscoll decided to partner with Zagster. a venture-funded startup company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts that designs, builds and operates bike sharing programs for cities, universities, corporate campuses, hotels, and residential communities across the United States.
July of 2017 brought change to the existing bike sharing program in Salem, now the mayors office ´& the City has partnered with Zagster.
In 2012, “I hope Salem residents will take advantage of the Salem Trolley as an enjoyable way to see and visit many corners of our city,” Mayor Kimberley Driscoll said. “The more residents that utilize the trolley, the fewer cars will be on our roads, reducing congestion and the city’s overall energy footprint.” Residents can pick up tickets at the Salem Trolley office on Central Street, from the trolley’s ticket sellers near the National Park Service Visitors Center at the corner of New Liberty and Essex streets, or on board the trolley. Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll Announces Free Trolley Rides for Salem Residents, the Sixth year of free trolley rides (2017) for Salem residents, with ID, June 1 through September 30 Residents can receive a Resident Ticket by providing proof of residency at the Salem Trolley office (8 Central Street).
A $1B “Transformation” for Salem, Mass waterfront is underway (2017). 40 acres of prime waterfront redevelopment is up for grabs in the biggest deal ever.