Paul Heroux

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul Heroux
Paul heroux.jpg
Mayor of Attleboro, Massachusetts
Assumed office
January 2, 2018
Preceded byKevin Dumas
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
from the 2nd Bristol district
In office
January 5, 2013 – January 2, 2018
Preceded byGeorge T. Ross
Succeeded byJim Hawkins
Personal details
BornTaunton, Massachusetts
Political partyDemocratic Party
ResidenceAttleboro, Massachusetts
Alma materHarvard School of Government
Master's in Public Administration
London School of Economics
Master's in International Relations
University of Pennsylvania
Master's in Criminology
University of Southern California
Bachelor's in Psychology & Neuroscience
Websitewww.paulheroux.org

Paul Heroux (born 1976) is an American politician who is the mayor of Attleboro, Massachusetts. He previously served as State Representative from the Second Bristol District, elected in 2012.

Political career[]

Mayor[]

Paul Heroux has served as mayor of Attleboro, MA since 2018.

Electoral History[]

  • On 19 September 2017, Heroux came in first in a mayoral preliminary against 7-term incumbent Kevin Dumas, handing Dumas his first political defeat.[1] On the day of the preliminary election, Heroux was featured by several media outlets for being bitten by a dog the day before while campaigning for mayor, his sixth dog bite in 5 years.[2]
  • On 7 November 2017, Heroux defeated 7-term incumbent Kevin Dumas with 54% of the vote.[3]
  • On 5 November 2019, Heroux defeated Republican challenger and city council vice president Heather Porreca 67% to 32% for the race for mayor.[4]
  • On 21 September 2021, Heroux came in first in a three way preliminary obtaining 66% of the vote to his two competitors' 26% and 8%, respectively.[5]
  • On 2 November 2021, Heroux won 66% of the vote against his opponent Todd McGhee winning a third and final term as mayor.[6]

Issues[]

As mayor, Heroux has pushed the redevelopment of the city center,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] prioritized business support,[16] prioritized education spending by repairing roofs that leaked for 20 years,[17] boosted education funding and created a special education stabilization fund,[18][19] maintained the city's AA bond rating despite hard financial times inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic.[20] Heroux created a rent and mortgage assistance program for Attleboro residents who fell behind on rent and mortgage payments to help avoid evictions and foreclosures.[21][22][23] Heroux has made efforts to recruit women and people of color fill vacancies on city boards and commissions.[24] Heroux promoted advanced training in unconscious bias, duty to intervene to prevent excessive force, and de-escalation training for city police officers,[25][26] and made sure that every firefighter has two sets of protective fire gear for the first time in city department history by funding in the budget every year.[27] Heroux made news across the country when he implemented a strict zero tolerance policy for people who leave dogs in hot cars,[28][29][30][31][32][33] and made city hall pet friendly so that animals don't need to be left in a car when residents visit city hall.[34]

The Sun Chronicle said "Paul Heroux will surely go down as the most environmentally-conscience mayor in Attleboro’s history."[35] During Heroux's tenure as mayor, he has taken many decidedly pro-environmental positions. These include purchasing the bankrupt privately owned Highland Country Club and turning it into the city owned Highland Park[36] and putting a monarch butterfly population in the new park,[37] making all city government buildings 100% wind powered,[38] ordered city workers to use recycled paper products whenever practicable and cost effective,[39] formed a special committee to update the city's Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan and Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Report to prepare for the possibility of greater impact from climate change,[40][41] changing all of the city street lights and city building lights to LED lights,[42] moving the city fleet of vehicles to hybrids where possible,[42] putting solar panels above city owned parking lots,[42] making Attleboro a Green Community,[43] banning single use plastic bags,[44] banning plastic and Styrofoam take away cups and containers from restaurants and convenience stores,[45] banning body and face washes that have plastic exfoliating beads,[46] banning the intentional releasing of balloons into the air,[47] banning the distribution of plastic straws, the sale of fluorescent light bulbs containing mercury and bee killing insecticides containing neonicotinoids.[48] Heroux also submitted ordinance proposals that would triple the Wetland Protection Zone,[49][50][51] and ban single use plastic water bottles, and plastic miniature alcohol bottles.[52] Heroux is also seen around the city picking up litter with his dog or with groups of volunteers.[53]

State Representative[]

Paul Heroux served as a state representative from 2013-2017.

Electoral History[]

Paul Heroux was first elected in November 2012 as the State Representative from the Second Bristol District, Massachusetts.

  • On 6 September 2012, Heroux won a Democratic primary with over 78% of the vote.[54]
  • On 7 November 2012, Heroux defeated Republican incumbent George T. Ross with over 58% of the vote.[55] Representative-elect Heroux was sworn in as freshmen representative on 2 January 2013.[56]
  • On 4 November 2014 Heroux was elected to a second term with 61% of the vote over local businessman Bert Buckley.[57]
  • In 2016, Heroux ran unopposed for reelection and received 99.6% of the total votes cast for state representative.[58]

Issues[]

Heroux's work as a state representative included creating a $38 million school internet infrastructure grant program that offered money to school districts all over Massachusetts,[59][60] was a cosponsor of the transgender public accommodation bill,[61] which is now law as the Massachusetts Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Initiative,[62] was a cosponsor of the ban on gay conversion therapy,[63] which is now law,[64] adding money to several state budgets for homeless children's programs,[65] and fought to try to get the state to measure prison program outcomes on reducing recidivism.[66]

Personal life[]

Heroux was raised in Attleboro to small business drug store owners.[67][68] He was awarded the 'Most Genuine' class superlative from his 1995 high school class for a complete abstinence to alcohol and drugs. Heroux holds two Ivy League master's degrees from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively, a master's from the London School of Economics, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. Heroux published a 500 page book on US foreign policy in the Middle East,[69] has lived in Saudi Arabia,[70] and has been to North Korea.[71]

Prior to elected office, Heroux worked in the Philadelphia jail system, as the director of research in the Massachusetts prison system, for the national security think-tank Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies, as an English teacher in Saudi Arabia, and with kids for seven years at a YMCA.[72] Heroux, after earning instructor level ranks, also taught Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Kali, and Jiu Jitsu at a studio he opened at 19 years old.[73]

From October to November 2018, Heroux took a 12-day, 8,500-mile (13,700 km) road trip across 24 states and Canada with his dog Mura, posting pictures on hist Facebook page. The trip went viral after being picked up by news outlets across the United States and in dozens of countries.[74][75]

References[]

  1. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Dumas will face Heroux in Attleboro mayor's race". The Sun Chronicle.
  2. ^ jhand@thesunchronicle.com, Jim Hand. "The dog-eat-dog world of politics takes a bite out of Heroux". The Sun Chronicle.
  3. ^ Hand, Jim (7 November 2017). "Heroux sweeps city, defeats Dumas". The Sun Chronicle. Attleboro: The Sun Chronicle. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2019. A reluctant candidate, state Rep. Paul Heroux was elected mayor Tuesday, defeating seven-term incumbent Kevin Dumas by a 54 to 46 percent margin.
  4. ^ Rhodes, George W. (November 5, 2019). "Attleboro mayor wins second term by a landslide". The Sun Chronicle.
  5. ^ Staff, Sun Chronicle. "Attleboro voters narrow mayoral field to Heroux, McGhee". The Sun Chronicle.
  6. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Heroux soundly defeats challenger to win third term as Attleboro mayor". The Sun Chronicle.
  7. ^ speterson@thesunchronicle.com, Stephen Peterson. "Attleboro alley has a new look thanks to local artist". The Sun Chronicle.
  8. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Tax incentive program proposed for housing development in downtown Attleboro". The Sun Chronicle.
  9. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro dangles grant money for businesses as downtown housing development ramps up". The Sun Chronicle.
  10. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "More apartments approved for downtown Attleboro". The Sun Chronicle.
  11. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Two more factories in downtown Attleboro proposed to house apartments". The Sun Chronicle.
  12. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Kids Town building in Attleboro to come down on Friday". The Sun Chronicle.
  13. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Downtown redevelopment plan for Attleboro looking up". The Sun Chronicle.
  14. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro has big plans for a back alley". The Sun Chronicle.
  15. ^ Rhodes, George W. (February 25, 2020). "Attleboro gets $50,000 grant to help fill downtown storefronts". The Sun Chronicle.
  16. ^ Rhodes, George W. (May 14, 2020). "Downtown Attleboro businesses get state grants to help with coronavirus shutdown". MassDevelopment. The Sun Chronicle.
  17. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro library and school roof projects on track". The Sun Chronicle.
  18. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "$152M budget presented to Attleboro's city council". The Sun Chronicle.
  19. ^ jhand@thesunchronicle.com, Jim Hand. "Heroux boosts education spending but Attleboro school board says more needed". The Sun Chronicle.
  20. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro maintains bond rating, financial outlook stable". The Sun Chronicle.
  21. ^ "Our View: Mayor's rent-relief plan a good start". The Sun Chronicle.
  22. ^ speterson@thesunchronicle.com, Stephen Peterson. "Attleboro mayor announces up to $500,000 in rental assistance". The Sun Chronicle.
  23. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro mayor expands rental assistance plan to mortgages". The Sun Chronicle.
  24. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro has more than 30 volunteer jobs open". The Sun Chronicle.
  25. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro police get training to prevent excessive use of force". The Sun Chronicle.
  26. ^ Linton, David (September 24, 2020). "Attleboro police complete bias, de-escalation training, mayor says". The Sun Chronicle.
  27. ^ "Mayor: City will purchase second set of gear for Attleboro firefighters". July 3, 2019.
  28. ^ "Mayor adopts zero tolerance policy against leaving dogs in hot cars". WFTV. July 7, 2018.
  29. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro begins issuing costly tickets for leaving dogs in hot cars". The Sun Chronicle.
  30. ^ NEWS, ASHLEY CULLINANE, NBC 10 (July 6, 2018). "Attleboro enforces 'zero tolerance' policy for pets left in hot cars". WJAR.
  31. ^ "Mayor Calls For Crackdown On Leaving Pets In Hot Cars". July 6, 2018.
  32. ^ "Mayor adopts zero tolerance policy against leaving dogs in hot cars". dayton-daily-news.
  33. ^ "Mayor adopts zero tolerance policy against leaving dogs in hot cars". KIRO 7 News Seattle. July 7, 2018.
  34. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro City Hall goes to the dogs (and cats)". The Sun Chronicle.
  35. ^ "Our View: A change for the better".
  36. ^ Rhodes, George W. (June 26, 2018). "Attleboro City Council votes to purchase Highland Country Club property". The Sun Chronicle.
  37. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Monarch butterfly garden taking root in Attleboro's Highland Park". The Sun Chronicle.
  38. ^ "Attleboro turning to windmills to power City Hall, other municipal buildings".
  39. ^ "Attleboro mayor adds new effort to his green agenda".
  40. ^ https://www.cityofattleboro.us/DocumentCenter/View/5079/2020-Hazard-Mitigation-Plan-HMP--Municipal-Vulnerability-Preparedness-MVP-Plan-?bidId=
  41. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro committee will tackle natural hazards, climate change in all-day session". The Sun Chronicle.
  42. ^ a b c Rhodes, George W. (October 13, 2019). "Mayor plans to steer police cruisers, other city cars, toward hybrid gasoline-battery powered vehicles". The Sun Chronicle.
  43. ^ Hand, Jim (February 4, 2020). "Attleboro wins Green Community designation and $244,000 grant". The Sun Chronicle.
  44. ^ Rhodes, George W. (January 8, 2019). "Plastic bags banned in Attleboro". The Sun Chronicle.
  45. ^ speterson@thesunchronicle.com, Stephen Peterson. "Attleboro banning plastic and Styrofoam cups, food containers in restaurants, convenience stores". The Sun Chronicle.
  46. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro City Council rejects bans on single-use plastic bottles, nip bottles". The Sun Chronicle.
  47. ^ Rhodes, George W. (22 December 2020). "Releasing batches of balloons banned in Attleboro". The Sun Chronicle. Attleboro: The Sun Chronicle. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021. On an 8-2 vote last week the city council banned the intentional release of balloons by "any person or group" and created a $20 fine for violations.
  48. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro City Council OKs ban on plastic straws". The Sun Chronicle.
  49. ^ "Our View: City needs to follow a greener path". The Sun Chronicle.
  50. ^ "Attleboro Mayor proposing expanded wetland protection buffer zones". March 4, 2021.
  51. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Mayor proposes expansion of Attleboro's wetland protection zone". The Sun Chronicle.
  52. ^ Rhodes, George W. (September 8, 2020). "Attleboro mayor proposes his own 'green new deal'". The Sun Chronicle.
  53. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Attleboro mayor adds street cleaning to job duties with many pitching in". The Sun Chronicle.
  54. ^ Rhodes, George (6 September 2012). "Democrat Heroux to take on Ross for Attleboro state rep. race in November". The Sun Chronicle. SUN CHRONICLE STAFF. Attleboro: The Sun Chronicle. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2019. Heroux got 78 percent of the 1,428 votes cast in the contest, beating Kane 1,118 votes to 310.
  55. ^ Rhodes, George W. (7 November 2012). "Heroux sweeps to victory". The Sun Chronicle. Attleboro: The Sun Chronicle. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2019. Heroux piled up 58 percent of the vote to overwhelm the one-term, 63-year-old incumbent, who served seven terms on the City Council before his election to the House two years ago.
  56. ^ Hand, Jim (3 January 2013). "City lawmaker newest member from area". The Sun Chronicle. Boston: The Sun Chronicle. Archived from the original on 6 January 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2019. When Paul Heroux raised his right hand to take the oath of office as Attleboro's new state representative Wednesday...
  57. ^ Rhodes, George W. (4 November 2014). "Paul Heroux re-elected as state representative, defeats Bert Buckley". The Sun Chronicle. Attleboro: The Sun Chronicle. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2019. State Rep. Paul Heroux cruised to a second term, crushing Republican challenger Bert Buckley with 61 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s state election.
  58. ^ "Massachusetts general election results for State Representative in all districts in the year 2016". state.ma.us. 2016. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  59. ^ Hand, Jim (June 30, 2014). "Attleboro area legislators make mark on tech bill to improve school, public safety access". The Sun Chronicle.
  60. ^ Hand, Jim (October 17, 2013). "Heroux plan would net schools $38M for technology". The Sun Chronicle.
  61. ^ Heroux, Paul (9 June 2016). "HEROUX: 'Bathroom bill' doesn't endanger children's safety". The Sun Chronicle. Attleboro: The Sun Chronicle. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021. Massachusetts passed historic legislation protecting the civil rights of transgender people. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the bill.
  62. ^ "Restrictions for Massachusetts restaurants easing on Monday". news.yahoo.com.
  63. ^ https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H1190.pdf
  64. ^ "Massachusetts becomes 16th state to ban 'gay conversion therapy'".
  65. ^ Hand, Jim (May 1, 2014). "Little complaint by Attleboro area legislators on $36.2B House budget". The Sun Chronicle.
  66. ^ "Letters: Readers react to fatal cop shooting". 17 April 2018.
  67. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "Popular Plainville pharmacy closes after decades of service". The Sun Chronicle.
  68. ^ grhodes@thesunchronicle.com, George W. Rhodes. "County Square Pharmacy in Attleboro sold". The Sun Chronicle.
  69. ^ STAFF, JIM HAND SUN CHRONICLE. "Attleboro state rep pens book on history of Middle East, terrorism". The Sun Chronicle.
  70. ^ HEROUX, PAUL. "HEROUX: Understanding elusive for Saudis, Americans". The Sun Chronicle.
  71. ^ STAFF, JIM HAND SUN CHRONICLE. "Attleboro state Rep. Paul Heroux gets a rare, inside glimpse of North Korea". The Sun Chronicle.
  72. ^ "Representative Paul R. Heroux". malegislature.gov.
  73. ^ treilly@thesunchronicle.com, Tom Reilly. "Paul Heroux: 'I love what I do'". The Sun Chronicle.
  74. ^ Hand, Jim (12 November 2018). "Attleboro Mayor's Mura and the media go international". The Sun Chronicle. Attleboro: The Sun Chronicle. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2019. Mayor Paul Heroux’s 8,500-mile road trip with his terminally ill dog Mura has gotten national and international media attention, all the way from Providence to Hamburg, Germany.
  75. ^ "Mann macht mit todkrankem Hund "Reise seines Lebens". Berliner Morgenpost (in German). Attleboro: Berliner Morgenpost. 11 December 2018. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2019. Paul Heroux adoptierte seinen Hund Mura, als er erst wenige Wochen alt war. Inzwischen ist der Shikoku, eine japanische Hunderasse, zehn Jahre alt und der beste Freund des US-Amerikaners.
Retrieved from ""