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Brockton mayor outlines business-recruitment push and plan to pursue ownership of regional desalination plant
Summary
Mayor Moises Rodriguez told a chamber audience he intends to form a business advisory council, pursue new commercial growth and present a plan this summer to acquire a regional desalination plant that could produce about 10 million gallons a day to secure water for Brockton and neighboring towns.
Mayor Moises Rodriguez used the chamber forum to pitch a local economic strategy that pairs business recruitment with infrastructure moves he said would secure Brockton’s water future.
"We’re going to ... put together a business advisory council" to help retain and attract companies, Rodriguez said, listing outreach to prospective manufacturers as examples of active recruitment. He described talks with an electric carmaker and a panel manufacturer showing interest in Brockton as early leads.
The mayor also detailed a long-standing contractual relationship with a regional desalination plant that Brockton has accessed under a membership arrangement. Rodriguez said the city currently pays what he characterized as a membership fee approaching $9.5 million and receives no ownership share; he said the administration hopes to present a plan to the city council by the summer to purchase the plant so Brockton could run it and sell water to surrounding communities.
"The goal is to own the plant," Rodriguez said, arguing that ownership would let the city "reap the benefits" and enable sales of water to neighboring towns. He said the plant can produce about 10,000,000 gallons a day with augmentation, and cited an example of Miami owning a similar facility run by the same operator.
Rodriguez framed the plan as both an economic-development and a fiscal-preservation move: he said city leaders expect revenues from new customers and development to help relieve residential tax burden, which he described as about 80% residential and 20% commercial currently. The mayor also highlighted workforce and education context — noting Brockton High’s large graduating classes and student destinations — as part of the case for growing the commercial tax base.
On facilities, Rodriguez answered questions about the Shaw Center and said renovations at City Hall temporarily displaced some functions but that the Shaw Center should be available in March–April after recarpeting and related work.
The mayor’s remarks signaled near-term follow-up steps rather than formal approvals: he set expectations for a summer council presentation on the desalination purchase plan and outlined outreach to recruit businesses, but he did not announce any finalized contracts or council votes at the chamber event.
