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Resident warns Beverly council that Super PAC money 'breeds corruption' in local races
Summary
During public comment Nov. 10, resident John Taylor said two Super PACs spent about $7,000 in Beverly races and urged councilors to put residents first as budget season approaches; no council response was recorded in the comment period.
John Taylor, a Beverly resident, used a 3‑minute public comment slot at the Nov. 10 City Council meeting to criticize the role of outside money in local campaigns and to urge councilors to prioritize residents during budget decisions.
Taylor said the recent local election drew two Super PACs that he described as having spent "upwards of $7,000 in Beverly political races," and he warned councilors that “money in politics breeds corruption,” a phrase he attributed to both Bernie Sanders and Sen. Susan Collins while making his point. He suggested that as the council chooses a budget analyst it should avoid following the agenda of Super PAC funders and instead focus on the needs of Beverly’s roughly 45,000 residents.
Taylor singled out councilors Saint Hilaire, Feldman, Hausman, Crowley and Rotondo for praise because, he said, they did not benefit from PAC money, and urged the remaining councilors "to vote for Beverly residents and not for the Super PAC." His remarks concluded without a back‑and‑forth from councilors (the council generally does not engage speakers during the public comment slot).
The council proceeded to routine business after the public comment period.
