by Rebekah Metzler

The only announced challenger for the four alderman-at-large seats spoke at the April 1 contributors meeting of The Somerville News about his campaign and his platform, called The Somerville Vision.

“My goal is to talk to residents so they understand my policies,” said Domingos R. Santos Jr., the 23-year-old New England School of Law student, speaking in the back room of Davis Square’s Diesel Café.

Santos said he plans to appeal to Somerville tenants and landlords by initiating what he calls “The Somerville Community Stabilization Act.”

Based on a similar piece of legislation that failed in Boston in December, the stabilization act would only allow landlords to increase rent 10% a year for general tenants and 5% a year for elderly, disabled, or low-income tenants, he said.

Despite the fact that this plan failed to be pass in Boston, Santos is convinced his sabilization plan can succeed in the city, he said. “Legislators can make this work in Somerville because they care about rent and residents.”

Clearly tenants will be happy with the proposal that limits landlords’ ability to control rent, he said.

But Santos will have a much harder time trying to convince the landlords to support such a policy, he said.

“Property owners have a right to their property and making a profit,” said Santos.

Landlords who wanted would have the opportunity for a hearing to decide if they could raise the rent higher than the standard. The hearing would be in front of a board made up of a landlord, a tenant, a building inspector and a city official, he said.

The board would then render a verdict on the case presented, he said.

Santos said landlords are advantaged by this policy because it grants them the chance to have their voices heard.

“A program without an opportunity to be heard would hurt the landlord because it would limit their ability to make exceptions,” he said.

Santos plans on establishing a campaign website where he will unveil his complete and multifaceted Somerville Vision, which will include details about his plans for government reform at the city level, as well as his further policies regarding tenant and landlord relations, he said.

It is absolutely critical that people understand his plans for the city of Somerville in his own voice, he said. “I cannot have my policies construed as anti-capitalist or anti-free market.”

Once he has completed his finals at the New England School of Law, he intends to pick up his campaign efforts, he said. “I’ll be going door to door, talking with residents to make sure they are familiar with my policies.”