Joseph A. Curtatone, Mayor
Curtatone is seeking to win his third term in office as mayor. In his first two terms, Curtatone has stressed innovations such as the 311 constituent services hotline and progress on development and transit issues such as Assembly Square and the Green Line extension. One of his most controversial proposals in his first four years in office was his plan to revise the ordinance regulating condominium conversions in the city. He said, despite withdrawing the proposal, he still believes the current ordinance must be changed.
‚ÄúI believe that we can and should update the current ordinance to provide more tenant protections without unfairly inhibiting the rights of property owners to convert from rental to condo status. Back in 2006, to get the ball rolling on the development of a new ordinance, I issued a detailed proposal to the Board of Alderman and established a review committee with Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz as chair.  My proposal included requirements that owners submit proof of tenant notification when applying for a conversion permit, and that they provide more notice and response time to elderly, handicapped and low-income tenants before converting rental properties into condominiums. I also proposed that tenants be given more opportunities to purchase their converted condominium and that the permit fee increase to $750 ‚Äì a figure negotiated by attorneys who regularly practice before the Condo Review Board.  In the coming year, I look forward to working with her, her fellow aldermen and other interested parties to develop a new ordinance that the board can endorse.‚Äù

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Suzanne Bremer, Candidate for mayor
Bremer is challenging Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone next week for the city‚Äôs executive office. Bremer, a librarian at Tufts, said Curtatone‚Äôs administration does not have a long-term vision for developing the city. When asked how she would encourage public transit use and improve traffic patterns she said:  ‚ÄúComplete the Community Path now ‚Äì work with abutters to address their concerns about safety and property values and then move forward.  Enough with the photo ops with smiling happy students. Enough with the idle chat of professional politicians. Let‚Äôs roll-up our sleeves and finish what we‚Äôve started. The city needs a comprehensive transit plan – our streets are crowded ‚Äì the IKEA in Assembly Square will mean even more traffic on our streets.  And this is what I mean by lacking a long-term vision for development. We need expert help and community input to find ways for our streets to accommodate multiple modes of transportation ‚Äì cars, trucks, buses, bicycles and pedestrians. We can‚Äôt manage this project in isolation.

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William A. White Jr., Alderman-at-Large
White has been on the board since 1999. He is currently the chair of the Committee on Public Health and Public Safety. He said part of his work on that committee has been to address the increasing incidents of car break-ins in the city. ‚ÄúDuring this past summer I held committee meetings to address crime in the city and we discussed these break-ins.  Representatives of the police department basically stated that these were crimes of opportunity, done on the spur of the moment by individuals who saw an item of value in the car, quickly broke in, and were gone in a matter of minutes. Directed police patrols have been scheduled for impacted areas. Also, we have tried to publicize the need for people who observe suspicious behavior in their neighborhoods to report it to police. We are also working to increase community awareness of these break-ins and the need for people to remove items of value from their vehicles.‚Äù

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Tony Lafuente, Candidate for Alderman-at-Large
Lafuente is running for alderman-at-large after losing to Curtatone in the 2003 mayoral race. Lafuente has said, if elected, he will make an issue of the dilapidated and allegedly toxic police station. In his answers to the Somerville News questionnaire, he said city government should play no role in determining if illegal immigrants are eligible for city services. “I believe that as a society we need to make sure that people are treated with respect and receive access to services that provide for basic human needs. The question of illegal immigrants and the services they should or shouldn’t receive is a policy question that needs to be determined on a national and state level.”

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John M. Connolly, Alderman-at-Large
Connolly returned to the board in May after a special election victory over Marty Martinez. He had previously been Ward 6 alderman for 22 years before being defeated by Gewirtz in 2005. He said illegal immigrants are not entitled to the same city services as legal immigrants and citizens. ‚ÄúServices should be prioritized based on tax paying status. Generally speaking services [should be provided] for those who pay taxes and basic services such as public safety for those who do not pay taxes. Federal citizenship processes must be stream lined  for all who desire citizenship.‚Äù

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Dennis Sullivan, Alderman-at-Large
Sullivan has represented the city as an alderman since 2004, before that he was on the School Committee. Sullivan said his hallmark in office has been accessibility. He conducts mobile office hours in locations throughout the city. He said improving the city’s bike path is a good way to encourage alternative modes of transit. “We must continue to lengthen the bicycle path, increase bicycle lanes and racks. Also the city should undertake a public awareness campaign to promote cycling as a mode of transportation not only for exercise but also to get to work and do errands. We have made strides in this area but we need to do more. The Bicycle Committee does tremendous work and we need to continue to work with these active citizens of Somerville.”

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Bruce Desmond, Alderman-at-Large
Desmond has served as an alderman and school committee member in the city over the past 10 years. He said city government has taken important steps to protect the environment. ‚ÄúThe city is currently using bio diesel fuel which is a step in the right direction. We are also looking to using Hybrid automobiles wherever we can. As the auto industry begins to offer a greater range of vehicles that are hybrid the city can in turn purchase more vehicles that are environmentally friendly, specifically toward combating global warming.‚Äù                                                           ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Frederick Berman, Candidate for Alderman-at-Large
Berman is a first time candidate running for one of four at-large seats on the board. In the past he has worked on Assembly Square development as a member of the Mystic View task Force and on affordable housing initiatives with the Somerville Community Corporation. He said city employees should not ask residents about their immigration status. ‚ÄúFirst of all, immigration status is very complex, and police, firefighters, librarians, trash collectors, and school nurses ‚Äî to name just a few of the municipal workers or city-funded workers who provide important services ‚Äî are not prepared to evaluate the immigration status of each of their customers.  I certainly wouldn‚Äôt want emergency personnel to delay their response to a crime or fire on account of inconclusive immigration status, nor would I want public health nurses to deny treatment for a communicable disease because an individual could not prove their immigration status.‚Äù 

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Joseph P. Lynch, Candidate for Ward 5 alderman
Lynch is challenging incumbent Sean T. O‚ÄôDonovan for a spot on the Board of Aldermen representing Ward 5. He said the current laws governing condo conversions are adequate. ‚ÄúMy initial review of the current condo conversion ordinance indicates that it is adequate.  Additional data needs to be presented to support the contention that massive amounts of seniors and disabled have been displaced, resulting in severe hardship, due to inadequate protections under the current ordinance.‚Äù

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Sean T. O’Donovan, Ward 5 Alderman
O‚ÄôDonovan has represented Ward 5 since 1995. He said he has worked to make the city safer and increase affordable housing options in his tenure as alderman. He said he has worked with Curtatone‚Äôs administration to address rising car break-ins. ‚ÄúOverall crime has decreased in Somerville. Car break-ins unfortunately have increasing at an alarming rate. I worked with the Administration to create the WRAP program. The WRAP program is a tool that constituents and use to protect their own property. WRAP  (Web based registration anti-theft program) allows constituents to register their personal electronic devices to track them if stolen.  We must continue to analyze to crime data to strategically and effectively deter rise trends in criminal activity such as car break-ins.

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Charles Chisholm, Candidate for Ward 6 Alderman
Chisholm, a former Ward 1 alderman, is challenging Gewirtz this year in Ward 6.
To address public safety issues, Chisholm proposed closed circuit video surveillance of all public streets through grants being offered by the Department of Homeland Security. If elected, he said he would propose the construction of a community center at Foss Park. “The [community center] would encompass the entire perimeter [of the park] which would include a satellite campus of Bunker Hill Community College, which would establish a comprehensive worker training program and a youth counseling component, with athletic programs."

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Rebekah L. Gewirtz, Ward 6 Alderman
Gewirtz is trying to return to the board after first being elected two years ago. In her first term, Gewirtz said she worked to lower the city’s carbon footprint and increase affordable housing opportunities. In her answers to a Somerville News questionnaire, she said devising policies and strategies to combat neighborhood crime is a priority.
‚ÄúCar break-ins and theft is a problem throughout Somerville.  In Davis Square I worked with residents to bring together a neighborhood community group to address crime in the area.  One technique is starting email list serves in neighborhoods where theft and vandalism is high so people connect with each other, get to know their neighbors, and are on the lookout for this kind of activity.  Coming together as a community is an important way to combat crime.  Of course, when there are reports of break-ins we need directed police patrols in those areas, which I have ordered on several occasions in Ward 6.  I would also like to see additional police on bicycles in the area, making policemen more accessible to residents.  Additionally, it is sometimes difficult for cruisers to negotiate Davis Square with traffic ‚Äî police on bikes can get places within the neighborhood quickly and efficiently and I will continue to advocate for this on the Board of Aldermen.‚Äù 

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Robert C. Trane, Ward 7 Alderman
Trane is seeking his third term as Ward 7 alderman. In his time on the board, Trane said he is proud to have led efforts to increase affordable housing (200 new units at the old Conwell School site) and improve the city‚Äôs environmental policies. However, like many in his Ward 7 neighborhood, Trane said he has spent much of his time dealing with rowdy Tufts students. ‚ÄúStudent behavior has been a big issue here in Ward 7. I receive numerous complaints on noise and vandalism almost every weekend. I have tried to address this problem by working with the Somerville and Tufts police departments to implement joint patrols at the beginning of the school year. All student related complaints are then forwarded to the Dean of Students for action. Citations have been issued for noise complaints. I have worked with the West Somerville neighborhood group to do outreach into the student community to make them aware they are in a residential area populated by many working families. 

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Rachel Heller, Candidate for Ward 7
Heller is a first time candidate challenging Trane in Ward 7. Her previous community involvement in the city consists of advocating for changes to the condo conversion ordinance with the Somerville Community Corporation. She has picked up the endorsement of the Progressive Democrats of Somerville. She said Ward 7 residents and Tufts University students can peacefully live in the same neighborhood if they engage in an open dialogue. “Although it can be difficult for college students and residents surrounding universities to live in a shared space, we must recognize that both groups are part of our community, contributing to the economic vitality and social fabric of Somerville. It is important that we engage the university and the students, supporting current partnerships and beginning new initiatives to strengthen Somerville schools and add to Somerville’s great quality of life, while also working more closely with the university so that students better understand the responsibilities that go along with living in our community. In order to foster a strong relationship between Tufts and Somerville residents, we need to have an open dialogue between the Tufts administration, student groups, and concerned Somerville and Medford residents.”