Editor's Note: the author of this piece, Marcus Ferro, served as campaign manager for Hugh Dunn's campaigns for city council in 2017 and 2019.

While the once-bustling city of New Bedford remains in an indefinite pause, Ward 3 City Councilor Hugh Dunn has laid out a vision for recovery and a return to a stronger community. “New Bedford's Path Forward” is a multi-step initiative that steers public resources towards protecting the city's residents and small businesses, curbing the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, and establishing measures for safely reintegrating societal norms.

From expanded access to small business grants and public funding, to creating better housing opportunities for residents, to reopening golf courses and other social distancing-compliant recreational spaces, Councilor Dunn’s plan focuses on six pillars of the community:

  • Our small businesses
  • Our workforce
  • Our schools
  • Our homes
  • Our people
  • Our future

New Bedford is the economic and cultural center of the region. The city’s swift recovery is paramount not only for well-being of its residents but for the greater SouthCoast community. Dunn recognizes this. He also understands that in these times of crisis, it is important to protect our most vulnerable, reevaluate where society has come up short, and turn those weaknesses into strengths as we emerge from these hardships a more compassionate and stronger people.

Dunn's full plan can be found here.

Marcus Ferro is an attorney practicing in New Bedford and a weekly contributor to The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM. Contact him at marcusferrolaw@gmail.com. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. 

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