PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Kenneth Warren can trace his family roots in Ward 1 back to the 1940s.

 

As a 37-year resident himself, he says his passionate interest in what happens in the area has again led a bid to represent the needs of the ward's constituents.  

 

"The way I do office is I'm more of a problem solver, a hands-on type of person," he said. "You give me an issue, I work on it, I research it."

 

His areas of interest include education, public safety, economic development, and financial transparency.

 

Warren served on the School Committee in his early 20s and as the city councilor for Ward 2 for two terms in the 1980s before moving to Ward 1. He ran unsuccessfully for the Ward 2 seat in 2019.

 

He said he probably served on the council at one of the most difficult times in the city's financial history as it handled the implementation of Proposition 2 1/2, the law capping property taxes.

 

Warren is a graduate of Western New England University Law School in Springfield and has been working as an attorney for almost 40 years.  In 1994, he was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

During his time on the council, he was appointed as chairman of the Ordinance and Rules committee, which deals with legal matters.  

 

Warren was also the only elected official chosen for the three-member Cable TV Negotiation Committee that helped develop the city's public access channels and was appointed chairman of the emergency committee formed to address asbestos removal in city elementary schools.

 

During his last bid for council in 2019, he told iBerkshires that he still has the old files from when he was sitting on the so-called "asbestos committee."

 

Additionally, he served on the now defunct Berkshire County Board of Commissioners and was chairman for his final year.

 

"I've got a variety of experience," he said. "So I basically with my ties and loyalty to Ward 1 and my experience I think I can offer my offer something to the community."

 

His citywide priorities focus on having a strong infrastructure and a safe, financially sound community that encourages growth.

 

Warren supports giving the Pittsfield Police Department all of the resources it needs to address crime such as shootings and violence. He believes that Ward 1 would benefit from a "Tyler Side Community Outreach Post" and proposes its immediate establishment.

 

Though violence is of high concern for public safety, he asserts that another aspect of dealing with the issue is addressing the opioid crisis.

 

Warren said Pittsfield needs to be "aggressive" in marketing itself for new business and additional opportunities. He sees many avenues of use for the $34 million allocation of American Rescue Plan Funds to strengthen the city.

 

In his last campaign, he advocated for more spending on road paving and this time around, constituents are reportedly still asking for better roads.

 

He maintains that the Rescue Act funds could be used to free up space in the budget for more spending in that area.

 

"If you're creative, you can use monies from the rescue plan to pay for certain things that the city would be budgeting for elsewhere," Warren said. "That frees up money that you could then reallocate city budget to roads."

 

Warren is glad to see an opponent — Andrea Wilson — running to represent the ward. He thinks that residents should have options to choose from in each ward and finds the lack of candidate turnout in the city disheartening.

 

"I believe that there needs to be active competition, I'm a little disappointed that we have so few candidates for so few races that we're in," he said.

 

"People need to have alternatives and even if the same people get elected, they at least show that people want them on council they want them as their leaders."

 

Warren is first focusing his campaign on active voters but wishes to reach all residents in his highly diverse ward with varying issues.

 

"As a ward councilor I believe my first and foremost loyalties are to my ward, but obviously I would work on city issues, but when it comes to ward issues unless it was something of a matter of principle, I will definitely be voting the way my constituents wanted me to vote as best I could," he said.

 

"But then on city issues, I would try to do what I thought was in the best interest of the city."