PITTSFIELD — Ward 5 City Councilor Patrick Kavey is seeking a fourth term, emphasizing steady leadership during uncertain times and outlining an ambitious agenda focused on housing, infrastructure, and fiscal responsibility.
Kavey, who was first elected in 2019 at age 26, joined Morning Drive host Bill Sturgeon on WTBR to reflect on his tenure and discuss his goals for another term.
“Serving you for the past six years has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Kavey said. “Together, I am really impressed with what we’ve accomplished.”
He pointed to progress made in job training, infrastructure, public safety, and smart growth—particularly in his ward.
“Ward 5 has had more roadwork completed in the last six years than in any other district in the city,” he said. “We’ve improved infrastructure—roads, stormwater, fiber optic internet—and brought in over $30 million in private investments, creating a couple hundred jobs.”
Kavey acknowledged housing as the city’s most pressing challenge, pledging to prioritize affordable options for families at all stages of life. But he warned that fiscal stress—especially health care costs and federal funding uncertainty—could be the city’s biggest budgetary hurdle.
“Our budget is going to be one of the biggest challenges we face,” he said. “Things cost double for you, and they also cost double for the City of Pittsfield. We need to figure out how to keep those costs down while delivering services that bring people value.”
Kavey voiced support for the city’s new superintendent and the effort to restructure middle schools, which he hopes will reduce school-choice losses. “We have to stop this hemorrhaging of students,” he said. “We want to give families a reason to stay, and that means offering the best education possible.”
Kavey also called for a reexamination of the city’s participation in civil service, particularly in public safety hiring. “I’m definitely amenable to that,” he said. “It takes too long to fill vacancies, and it’s costly. Councilor Warren, Councilor Conant, and I already submitted a petition asking the mayor to explore it.”
The Ward 5 councilor noted that staffing challenges affect not only public safety, but basic services such as snow removal. “We’ve been paying almost $200 an hour to some snow contractors,” he said. “Meanwhile, our own highway staff is underpaid. If we match salaries, we can use fewer contractors and save money.”
Kavey said one of the biggest personal challenges of the job has been setting boundaries. “I had a resident who used to call me at 11 at night just to catch up,” he said. “Some things can wait until morning.”
But his commitment to constituent services remains unwavering.
“I do site visits, I knock on doors, I follow up,” he said. “It’s why people continue to support me. If you want to see change in the city, come vote and support the candidates who are doing the work.”
As the interview ended, Kavey made a final appeal to voters: “Running for office is not about the candidate—it’s about what we can achieve together,” he said. “On November 4, I humbly ask for your vote so I can continue to serve Ward 5 with the steady, experienced leadership our community deserves.”
Editor’s Note: This article is based on the October 21, 2025 broadcast of WTBR’s “Morning Drive” and was written in part using ChatGPT. To view the entire program, visit https://pittsfieldtv.org/program/?id=54186. WTBR’s “Morning Drive” airs weekdays at 7:30 a.m. on 89.7 FM in Pittsfield and 88.1 in Lee; and is simulcast on Access Pittsfield channel 1301. The full interview is available to view through PCTV Select.
