Lowell City Council Candidate Profile: Marty Chambers

This is the first in a series of profiles of the five candidates running for Lowell City Council in November. Check back each week for new profiles, which are being published in alphabetical order according to the candidate’s last names.

 

While he wasn’t expecting to run as an incumbent, Marty Chambers has known for some time that his name would be on the city council ballot in 2019. “It was already in the works for me to run this election cycle,” he says.

However, fate would give him the opportunity to begin serving on the council earlier than expected. In 2017, then Councilmember Alan Teelander stepped down from his position, and Chambers was the sole applicant for the open seat. He was appointed to the position and now has approximately two and half years of legislative experience under his belt.

The 55-year old father of two and grandfather of three hopes voters will return him to his seat so he can continue to work on improving the city. “I want Lowell to be better for my grandchildren,” Chambers says. “I know that’s cliché, but they are our future.”

Local Business Owner, Antiques Enthusiast

Chambers has spent 17 years working as a truck driver for Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, but local residents might know him better as the owner of Red Barn Consignments & Antiques. He’s run the store alongside his wife Laurie for the last six years, and it’s been a natural extension of his love of antiques. “If you’re not 100% honest, you’re not going to make it in this business,” he notes.

The business has also given him a unique insight into the needs of Lowell’s business community. “At one point, I knew almost every business owner up and down [Main Street],” he says. He recognizes that the historic downtown is not just the core of the City of Lowell but also the greater Lowell community.

“Six years ago, we didn’t have a strong downtown,” Chambers says. In recent years, an influx of new businesses and projects have brought additional people into Lowell, but he thinks more can be done. In particular, he’d like to see the city find grants and funding to convert the second stories of downtown buildings into living spaces.

“Just on our block, you could have nine new families,” he remarks. Chambers is aware that expanding housing units in the downtown could put pressure on neighboring parking lots, and he says the city might need to “buy some property and create new parking.”

Hoping to Serve for Years to Come

In addition to downtown development, Chambers also feels strongly about ensuring city departments are fully staffed. When he was first appointed to the council in 2017, Chambers says, “I didn’t realize our police department is understaffed, and our DPW is understaffed.” He also thinks it’s time for the fire department to add full-time firefighters. “They need it,” he says. “Look at all the housing that’s going in.”

Chambers was also surprised to learn there wasn’t an excess of money in city coffers to address staffing and other needs. “You quickly realize the money is not necessarily there,” he says. “That’s something I didn’t necessarily expect.”

The councilmember hopes voters will give him a chance to continue working on these and other issues. He says he has the passion and drive to maintain what can be a demanding schedule. He says, “I don’t think people realize what a commitment it is to do these commissions and boards.” Chambers is the council representative to the Planning Commission and the Lowell Light & Power Board. He is also considering becoming a citizen member of the Board of Review.

“I have no intention of ever being off [city council],” he says. In November, he’ll discover if city voters agree.

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