The Somerville Times gave each candidate in a contested race an opportunity to reach out to the residents of Somerville to pitch their candidacies. The candidates who responded are presented in alphabetical order:

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne
Mayor of Somerville Incumbent

I’m running for re-election as your Mayor, and humbly ask for your vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7th.

We have accomplished much together in my first two years, and, there is more to do for affordability, access to jobs, schools, infrastructure, environment, youth & seniors, social supports, food insecurity and more.

As I have geared up my re-election campaign, I couldn’t help and reflect on the past 21 months as Mayor, and my time in public service here in Somerville and beyond. I’ve been reflecting on walking into a community meeting nearly 25 years ago for a discussion on Assembly Sq. development, seeing just how special our City was – just how much potential and opportunity lay in front of us. I’ve been reflecting on over 20 years of advocacy – hand in hand with so many of you – volunteering, working to create affordable housing, developing anti-displacment strategies, jobs, working for transportation justice, equity and for the Green Line Extension…. Reflecting on the time I spent in workforce development, working for women and families. This work is still relevant today. I’ve been reflecting on our innovative, inclusive, forward-looking approach, and the values we share.

This work is still relevant today. Our Somerville commitment to inclusivity, equity, and opportunity for every one of our neighbors – have been at the heart of my career, and they have been at the heart of my first term as your Mayor.

All my life’s experiences have motivated me to be inclusive. My immigrant experience has taught me to value differences. Inclusive leadership works, especially in a place like Somerville. YES it gets messy, it takes a bit longer, at the end of the day you get shared purpose, buy-in and better results.

Together, we are living those values, and we have started to realize our shared vision of a more inclusive and equitable Somerville for all. From ensuring that all members of our community have access to safe, stable, affordable housing to working to close the gender wage gap – we have much progress to celebrate. Our City is setting the pace for progress across the Commonwealth, and even the nation.

When I delivered my message to the City nearly two years ago – I asserted that in order to create progress for all we needed to lay the foundation for progress. With your partnership, that’s exactly what we have been doing. Look what we have done together.

For affordability & Affordable Housing – launched Somerville’s first Land Acquisition fund, Municipal Voucher Program, launched Universal Basic Income PILOT, launched 13^th Year for young adults, resident who need a little more support as their enter adulthood.

A few months ago S&P awarded Somerville its first ever AAA bond rating. THIS IS HUGE. This saves us millions $$$s in borrowing costs at a time we need investments in schools, roads, underground infrastructure.

Transportation Equity, free 12 month MBTA passes to all students 7-12 grade, and their parents or guardians income elegible, and free T-passes for all muncipal employees, opening the Green Line Extension, Bike Network plan.

Quality of Life – opening first ever two Teen Centers in the city, and feeding those kids who need dinner, installing traffic calming infrastructure, SMART boxes, historic investments 10% budget increase in public schools, underground infrastructure updates.

With all that we have made happen together, we know that the foundation is not fully set.  We know that our continued, collective efforts are still needed to expand and secure Somerville’s inclusive future. 

More work remains on Affordability, affordable housing. We must continue to address the existential threat that is the climate crisis with resilience planning, alternative energy sources. Now more than ever women and families need us in their corner with fully implementing UBI, wage gap, protecting abortion rights, expanding services for our un-housed residents.

Our foundation to do this work is strong. In the years ahead we will not only make it stronger, WE will build upon it so that everyone in Somerville benefits. We will keep working to translate our shared Somerville values – the values that have driven me throughout my career –  into inclusive policies and tangible progress for all. You have been crucial to getting our wonderful City to where we are today.

We are just getting started. I hope I can count on your vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7^th, as we re-commit ourselves to building an inclusive and equitable Somerville.

https://katjana.org/en/katjana

 

Willie Burnley Jr
City Councilor At-Large Incumbent

Hi neighbors, my name is Willie Burnley Jr; I’m a renter living on Winter Hill, a community organizer, and your At-Large Somerville City Councilor. As someone who was displaced due to sudden rent hikes, I ran for this office to make Somerville affordable, accountable, and accessible for everyone. As a result, we earned the support of unions, environmental groups, three members of Congress – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey – and most importantly the voters of Somerville.

That support has allowed me to propose and pass the most legislation of any councilor this term, including expansions to tenants rights, first-in-the-nation nondiscrimination ordinances, and a Safe Streets Ordinance meant to implement our City’s Bicycle Network Plan, improve sidewalk accessibility, and create transparent pathways for community feedback. I’ve tried to use my position to uplift the voices of workers, stand with families as they advocate for safe school blacktops and buildings, and to create an inclusive community for all.

I’m running for re-election because I know that there is more work we must do. If I had to boil down my three top priorities for the next term, they would be: increasing affordability, particularly in housing, transforming public safety, and increasing local investment in our infrastructure and services.

Affordability

As someone who has experienced housing instability locally, I understand how heavily each bill and fee weigh on many of our residents struggling to stay in our community. That’s why I have proposed expansions in municipal worker benefits, a plan to eliminate all medical debt for residents who make less than 400% of the poverty rate, and have been a strong advocate for the Somerville Community Land Trust and rent control. We need development without displacement.

Transforming Public Safety

I take seriously my role in protecting our residents. That is why I am supportive of establishing an Overdose Prevention Center so that we end all local overdoses, restructuring our streets so that they are safe for all road users, and establishing an unarmed alternative emergency team to intervene in non-violent situations without the involvement of police.

Local Investment

Somerville is a beautiful, vibrant community that requires our constant upkeep and maintenance in order to thrive. Instead of increasingly privatizing essential services, I will continue to advocate for more investment in our crumbling roads, buildings, and municipal union jobs so that we can have a city as wonderful as our residents.

Willie Burnley Jr
Somerville City Councilor-at-Large
617-475-0203
linktr.ee/WillieforSomerville

 

Ben Ewen-Campen
Ward 3 Councilor Incumbent

Vote for Ben Ewen-Campen: Proven Leadership for a Better Somerville! Since winning my first election in 2017, I’ve worked non-stop to deliver positive change for all of us:

Housing Justice & Development:

Helped create the Office of Housing Stability
Closed developer loopholes to safeguard renters’ rights.
Supported the first ever Community Benefits Agreeements in Somerville history
Co-founded the Somerville Community Land Trust for affordable housing.
Championed Rent Stabilization to protect tenants.

Climate Justice & Green Spaces:

Advocated for a fossil fuel ban in new construction.
Passed strong zoning regulations for sustainability.
Supported the Stretch Energy Code for a greener Somerville.

Good Jobs & Economic Justice:

Closed Living Wage loopholes for recycling workers.
Improved wage theft protections for workers.
Promoted equity in City spending to support local businesses.

Safe Streets & Better Transportation:

Pushed for safe bicycle infrastructure citywide, including Highland Ave.
Advocated for Vision Zero and improved pedestrian safety.
Secured accessibility improvements for Union Square’s Green-Line Station.
Vote for Ben Ewen-Campen for a brighter, fairer, and more sustainable Somerville!

https://www.benforward3.com/

 

Jack Connolly
Ward 6 Councilor Candidate

I’m running for the Ward 6 Councilor position because I know I can do a better job than the current City Councilor Mr. Lance Davis.

I did the Ward Six Councilor’s job for years previous, and rebuilt Davis Sq. once before, and working with dozens of other concerned community members, CAN and WILL do it once more.

I’m running because crime in Ward Six is up 19% (according to Somerville Police Chief Charles Femino at the October Ward 6 Community Meeting), Davis Square is deteriorating month by month with over a dozen stores closed on Holland and Elm streets, including the Bfresh grocery store on Elm St. just this month. Don’t forget the closed Rite Aid pharmacy, and the long-time closed, graffitied, former Gulf Gas station on Highland Ave as you enter Davis Sq.

I’m running because current Councilor Davis admitted at our recent debate that he was not very good about answering emails or calls from constituents. I know how to provide and deliver constituent services, and it starts with listening and responding to calls, texts, and emails. “I’m Jack, and I will call you back.”

Residents and small businesses in the Ball Sq., Powderhouse Sq. and Davis Sq. neighborhoods will benefit from my accomplishments (working with dozens of others) and experiences as having served as a Ward and at Large Councilor bringing the Red, Orange, and Green line T stations to Somerville.

My priorities:

1.Monthly Ward meetings, including bringing back the Davis Sq. Task Force, to allow Ward residents an in-person opportunity to voice their concerns, observations, and comments on Ward Six issues, especially the major influx of rodent activity throughout Ward Six.

2. Convene a Special Committee of the City Council to deal with the Davis Sq. deterioration, neglected infrastructure, and the 19% increase in crime, with particular focus to provide much needed mental health and rehab services to the Davis Sq. Plaza people and prioritize increased services to seniors and disabled individuals throughout Ward Six.
3. Immediately focus on Public Safety and Emergency presence throughout the Ward, including re-instituting the Community Policing method currently not in practice.

Finally, I will reach out to Tufts University to be a more active member of the Ward Six community, and seek their involvement to provide additional support for climate, health, and transportation needs of not only Ward Six, but for the City of Somerville.

 

Matthew R. Hunt
Ward 1 Councilor Candidate

I decided to run for City Council to be of service to Ward 1. For far too long the east of the city has been underrepresented and underserved. I am endeavoring to change that. In an ever changing Somerville we are not seeing the dividend. Ward 1 needs a stronger advocate to help shepard change and make sure that the interests of the area are represented.

I stand out as a candidate because of my commitment to active communication with constituents. My notion of a representative is someone who brings your concerns to the table rather than seeing the vote as a mandate given to them every 2 years. Constituent services are the bedrock of local democracy. The fundamental purpose of city government is not ideological, it is to be in service to the community. And yes, there will sometimes be unpopular decisions to be made but when people are routinely listened to, respected, and informed those decisions can be taken with grace.
As it stands, people feel marginalized and unheard in city projects. More needs to be done to communicate locally with stakeholders throughout the process to keep people on board. I am not just your neighbor; I am a renter, a worker, one of eight children, a third generation trade union activist, a Boston College Alumni, I earned a Master’s degree and Ph. D in political history during my 12 years living in the north of Ireland. I have worked and organized in every job I have ever had from the service industry, where I was an “essential worker” during the pandemic, to Academia, while researching, teaching, and working as an administrator. I have fought for vulnerable populations in every place that I have lived around the world. My extended family here in East Somerville have been involved in grassroots political activism for over a hundred years and I am proud to continue that tradition.
My Priorities are:
Make sure Ward 1 sees the dividend of a changing Somerville when it comes to the effective and efficient delivery of city services in our Ward.
Provide resources for our immigrant communities who most often make East Somerville their home.
Protect the most vulnerable members of our community in how we think about infrastructure.
But most importantly of all I will bring results to you, the people of Ward 1.
https://huntward1somervill.wixsite.com/matthew-hunt

 

Will Mbah
City Councilor At-Large Candidate

I believe my weekly commentaries over the past several months in The Somerville Times have demonstrated to voters who I am and what the issues are that I care about.
willmbah.com

 

 

 

 

Jack Perenick
Ward 5 Councilor Candidate

I am running because with family in the city from pre-schoolers to seniors, I see our struggles. As a renter with disabled family members I know the cost and accessibility problems we need to fight, and I am ready to take them on. I want to continue Councilor Gómez Mouakad’s work on the Council and continue to advocate for a more affordable and accessible Somerville.
https://www.jackforsomerville.com/

 

 

 

 

Naima Sait
Ward 5 Councilor Candidate

My name is Naima Sait. I am running for Ward 5 Somerville City Council. I am a first-generation immigrant from Algeria, a mother, a long-time Somerville resident and teacher. I speak four languages – English, French, Arabic and Tamazighrt, the native language of indigenous people in North Africa. I have lived in Somerville for almost 10 years, first as a renter and now as a homeowner. Somerville is the community that welcomed me as a first-generation immigrant. It’s the place where I had the opportunity to serve the community as a teacher for 7 years at Somerville High School and today it’s the place where my husband and I are raising our child.
In my years teaching, I saw that a lot of the issues playing out in our schools are issues we are dealing with as a broader community: affordable housing, sustainable infrastructure, safe streets, mental health and language access. I have been seeing and hearing about the daily effects of the housing crisis and the state of the municipal infrastructure on our residents, about how the pandemic and its aftermath have been affecting people’s mental health, and I have been hearing from our most vulnerable populations on the importance of having translation and interpretation services.
Affordable Housing:
• Rent stabilization
• Stronger tenants’ rights
• Additional affordable housing units
• Increased funding for housing advocacy organizations and city programs
Sustainable Infrastructure:
• Upgrades for city infrastructure, including schools
• Safer, accessible streets
• Greater support for small businesses
• Zero-emissions standards for new developments
• Federal funding to launch a Green New Deal for Somerville
Mental Health:
• Unarmed alternative emergency response for our neighbors in crisis
• Community-based mental health services and youth programming
Language Justice:
• Accessible translation, interpretation, and instructional services
• Greater city efforts for multilingual community engagement
Rodent Management:
• Dramatically increase funding to expand the successful SMART box extermination program to all areas of the city
• Pilot municipal compost program, replace residential trash bins, and inspect commercial trash dumpsters regularly
• Enforce ordinances regulating rat mitigation requirements for property developers

I am eager to serve the community as a City Councilor, where I will have an opportunity to work together with you to build the Somerville we want. I believe my commitment to Somerville and my lived experience – as a first-generation immigrant, a teacher, a mother and a community member – make me a good candidate for Ward 5 City Councilor.
https://www.naimaforsomerville.org/

 

Kristen Strezo
City Councilor At-Large Incumbent

I am a current City Councilor At-Large, social justice advocate, single mom, feminist punk singer, former co-chair of the Somerville Commission for Women, journalist, and proud Somerville resident.
I spent over twelve years as a sandwich-generation caregiver bringing up my 2 young children while caring for my elderly grandmother. My grandmother had ADA accessibility needs, and finding housing that was both accessible and affordable was virtually impossible. My family had the blessing of winning the affordable housing lottery, and it changed the course of my family in such positive ways. I want every Somerville family to know this ease.
I am running for re-election because I believe that we need voices in the City Council that understand the unique needs of our community, and I want to continue to serve my beloved Somerville community.
As councilor, the top three policy issues I will continue to prioritize are expanding affordable housing, climate action, and increasing food security. During my first two terms, I had a chance to make initial progress on these issues. I am just getting started.
While expanding the affordable housing stock through construction is imperative, I strive for more immediate, short-term solutions. This includes expanding our Section 8 stock in Somerville. We also need to continually include our small owner-occupied landlords and benevolent landlords into the housing affordability conversation, with action steps.
I also helped bring back Somerville’s Senior Free Taxi Program, a state-based COVID-19 pandemic response pilot program that was scheduled to end in December 2021. The program enhanced the lives of our senior population who needed the program to more efficiently get around our city.
I am continuing the work on Environmental Justice issues in Somerville, primarily along I-93 in Wards 1 and 4. Air quality in this region is terrible and it is some of our lowest income residents who live along this part of the city. It is very much an environmental justice issue that needs to be addressed with the immediate action it deserves.
Food insecurity is also a priority of mine. In December, 2021, I worked to reinstate the Food for Free program which delivers boxes of fresh healthy food to Somerville Housing Authority (SHA) residents facing food insecurity. Weekly deliveries are now happening in several locations within Somerville. I am so proud to call Somerville my home and I will not stop fighting for the happiness and safety of my residents.
https://kristenstrezo.com/

 

William B. Tauro
Candidate for Mayor

My name is William Billy Tauro.
I am here to ask you for your vote to allow me the opportunity to serve, as your next Mayor.
This city has not moved forward under the current Administration to serve the people.
Our infrastructure is crumbling around us most especially within the schools that educate our young children.
The streets are in utter disrepair, and development is in disarray.
The infestation problems are not going away.
Even the new bicycle lanes are not properly planned out for safe travel and sidewalks are a joke.
Rents are out of control and homeowner taxes are overcharged.
Our Veterans and Elder care have been continuously ignored.
Crime is still on the rise with no end in sight and safety parameters need to be set in place now!
Many answers to these very issues have been provided by the citizens but have fallen upon deaf ears and closed minds.
Now is the time to bring individuals and the groups they represent, together, to work toward common goals and unify the city for everyone to enjoy.
My promise to you, will be to address these problematic issues and create positive results, within the first 100 days in office.
I also intend to immediately establish a coalition representing the smaller groups in our community to allow them a voice. This will create an open dialogue, so that they may express their concerns, and, provide input for a better understanding of our neighborhoods. I will meet monthly with two to three representatives from each group to work with them and their concerns.
My policies can be viewed by logging on to williamtauro.com.
Once elected into office, I will greet all of my constituents with an open door. In fact, I will remove the office door right off the hinges on my first day in office so that you can feel more comfortable and welcome to speak directly to me about your concerns.
My goal is to work together, creating a new chapter for a better future for Somerville.
I ask you the voter to have faith and confidence in casting your vote for me William B. Tauro, for Mayor. Thank you for your time, confidence, and support. I look forward to serving you all!

Sincerely, Billy
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions at all at (617)293-2016
Please visit my website at: www.Williamtauro.com.

 

Jake Wilson
City Councilor At-Large Incumbent

I’ve had the privilege of working for Somerville as your City Councilor-At-Large for the past two years. Every day I wake up thinking about how to make our city the best it can be. I really love working for you and I’m running for re-election this fall in hopes the voters of Somerville feel the same way about me.

As your Councilor-At-Large, I’ve shown up. For city council and committee meetings, where I’ve only missed one so far — and that was when I was double-booked with a public hearing but still submitted questions that the chair asked. At the State House, testifying on behalf of our residents. At ward, community, and neighborhood meetings. At community and school events. And for you, my constituents, by being extremely accessible to everyone.

During my first term on the council, I’ve been an outspoken advocate for the large-scale creation of affordable housing units, safer streets, supporting working families, and better communication and transparency. And it hasn’t been just talk. I’ve sponsored and co-sponsored council items related to each of those things and achieved actual results on all of these fronts.

As chair of the Finance Committee, I’ve innovated with a new process for identifying the council’s top shared budget priorities and conveying them to the mayor, and by making the annual budget review process more efficient and humane.

Coming from a journalism and communications background, making sure people know what’s happening in their city is an absolute top priority of mine. I do a regular newsletter that’s packed full of information on issues, meetings, and events in Somerville, and I’ve averaged two of these newsletters per month during my time on the council.

If the voters see fit to give me another term, I’ll continue fighting for good, responsive, transparent government that makes the lives of residents and business owners better and easier. I’m always here for you – by phone, by email, by text, on social media, at my regular weekly office hours, and by appointment at a time that’s convenient for you.

I humbly ask for one of your four votes in the At-Large race this year.

Email: jake@jakeforsomerville.org
Phone: 617-817-3725
Calendly: @jakeforsomerville
Twitter: @jake4somerville
Facebook: @jake4somerville
Instagram: @jake4somerville