About - William Legault Salem Massachusetts City Council

Older Salem View of Salem State University - Image Courtesy of Salem State University Archives and Collections

The Salem Story of William

William Legault posing alongside the Keep Salem Beautiful Group in front of Samantha the Witch Statue while cleaning up Trash — Courtesy of Keep Massachusetts Beautiful

There was no log cabin involved in my birth. But there was Salem. When my parents brought me home from the old Salem Children’s Hospital we lived on Nursery Street. Shortly thereafter The Point neighborhood became my home with a short diversion to Castle Hill before a return to The Point. My family remained there until we moved to the Derby Street neighborhood where I spent my teen years as a local, generally well behaved Wharf Rat.

After graduating from Salem High School I served in the U. S. Air Force as Security Forces first at Yokota Air Base, Japan and then at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. Working on security teams as a crew chief in the Minuteman ICBM fields, there were 300 dotting the Big Sky landscape back then, was a serious and daunting task. In 1985, after a break in service I enlisted in U. S. Army. as an Operations & Intelligence Specialist serving at Fort Carson with the 4th Infantry Division, and then in Wurtzburg, Germany with the 3rd Infantry Division. Beginning in 1991 I lived in southern New Hampshire and was employed by various printed circuit board manufacturing companies located throughout the Merrimack Valley as a shirtsleeve machine shop manager.

William Legault wearing hat and glasses with folded hands posing and looking at camera — Courtesy of Christopher Padgett – Citizen Salem

Returning to Salem for good in 1997 I initially worked for the old Maynard Plastics on Swampscott Road. Since 2002 I have worked in the local hospitality industry, as a freelance writer, and currently manage my own social media operation Salem Digest/Salem Food Digest. I also tend the bar at the Columbus Society Lounge about 15 hours a week. This town encourages you to be creative and flexible in how you make a living, and I have done exactly that.

Over the last 20+ years I have served on the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness under Mayor Usovicz, as a Councillor at-Large from 2013 to 2015, The Salem Disabilities Commission, and I currently serve as the Salem representative to the Massport Community Advisory Committee.

William Legault in a suit and tie as a young boy - with hair — 8 years old William Legault, Courtesy of Devoe Studios

Volunteer work is important in all communities. It’s been my pleasure to serve as a fundraiser for the Salem Y, an organizer for the Salem Film Festival, a past member of the Salem Access Television board of directors, and as a volunteer the Salem Jazz & Soul Festival. In 2020 in partnership with Keep Massachusetts Beautiful and with the assistance of many other volunteers I established the Keep Salem Beautiful which has since gone on to do great works without me.

Public service is a pleasure, and it would surely be my pleasure to again serve you and all of Ward 2 on our city council.