SALEM — 2021 will be Ward 5 Councilor Josh Turiel’s final year in office.
The veteran city councilor announced last Thursday he would not be seeking re-election next fall. He has been on the Salem City Council for nine years.
“When I was first elected in 2011, my plan was to do the job for three terms, if the voters would let me, and then play it by ear,” said Turiel. “Now, 10 years later, I have a child in college — who was barely in elementary school when I was first elected — and a business I continue to operate, and I think that 10 years is long enough for me.
“I admire people who have the desire to serve for longer and I don’t like the idea of term limits — it’s valuable to have people who have institutional knowledge and experience. I never dreamed I’d be around long enough to be third in seniority, and that’s even more of a sign that I’ve served long enough.”
Turiel said he was proud that the Canal Street reconstruction project was completed under his watch, along with improvements in flood control and the rebuilding of the tide gates, and that the rebuilding of the pool at Forest River had begun.
“Working with Mayor (Kimberley) Driscoll and a number of colleagues, we’ve been able to leave the city financially stable and in good shape to weather this COVID crisis going forward,” he said.
He said he was grateful for his predecessors John Ronan and Matt Veno, whom he credited for many of the achievements that took place under his watch.
“Salem is in a good place now,” said Turiel, “with better days to come.”
Turiel does not expect he will completely withdraw from the political realm after he steps down from his role as a city councilor, he said.
“I’m not saying that I’ll vanish at the end of the year — sorry,” said Turiel. “But I’ll find other ways to stay involved. And, I hope that on balance, I’ve been a positive force for this ward and for the city. I’ll never say ‘never’ to public service in the future, but the present is ready to end.”
Turiel is looking forward to the coming year, where he hopes to continue working with Driscoll and the Council on Housing, work that will include navigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.
“I do look forward to hopefully finishing my time on the City Council this year on a good note,” he said. “And I do expect that there will be at least a couple of really good people putting their names out there for your consideration with this news.
“May we all leave Salem a better place for everyone,” he said.
Guthrie Scrimgeour can be reached at [email protected].
