A fixture on the Watertown Town Council will be stepping down at the end of her eighth term.
East End Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis announced Wednesday that she will not seek re-election for the District A seat. She was first elected in 2005.
Kounelis sent out an email to her colleagues and to her constituents saying simply: “Just a note to advise: I will not be seeking re-election to the position that I currently hold as the District A, East End, Town Councilor. It’s been a wonderful and fulfilling ride…..”
The reaction was swift and plentiful, she said.
“The emails have been ongoing, hundreds of them. I haven’t been able to get to all of them. It’s just truly appreciated — people’s warm wishes, thanking me for being there for them and being their strong advocate and voice,” Kounelis said. “I truly appreciate hearing from folks.”
The decision “was and is” not an easy one, Kounelis said.
“Sometimes we need to take a step back and respect ourselves, because people lose sight of when accusations and words are thrust out that people on the receiving end are also human beings,” Kounelis said. “And if we want to be respected, we have to respect ourselves.”
Her involvement in East Watertown issues goes back before her time on the Council. Kounelis spent many years working with the East Watertown Betterment Association. She said she was one of the “kids in training” when she first joined the organization.
In recent years, her focus has been protecting the people’s homes that sit close to commercial parcels as East Watertown has been redeveloped.
“We need to be respectful of the surrounding neighborhoods,” Kounelis said. “We have residential properties immediately abutting commercial properties. There are no buffers.”
The area has changed in recent years, she said.
“Many of the elders are passing on, their properties are being sold, completely gutted and rehabbed and made into condos,” Kounelis said. “There are pluses and minuses. The neighborhood’s become transient, we no longer know our neighbors, and it’s taken on a different character — not always for the better.”
With Kounelis’ decision not to run for her seat, there will be two open seats on the Town Council in November’s Town Election. Earlier in April, District D Councilor Ken Woodland announced he was stepping down, immediately, to take a new job with the State that does not allow him to serve on the Council. Those interested in running for Town Council (and other local boards) can begin taking out candidate papers from the Town Clerk’s Office on Monday, May 3. Nomination papers must be submitted by July 27. The General Election is Nov. 2 and, if necessary, a Preliminary Election will be held Sept. 14.
Angie has served the town well for 16 years. We didn’t always agree, but I respect her passion and commitment to her district and the town. Enjoy your retirement Angie!
complete sadness, one of my true favorite old school thinking councilors! massive loss for east
end & watertown as a whole. yeah what a ride Angie from EWBA to the present! wish you the best. thanks for your service they don’t make them like you!
Sorry to see this Angie! You have served our town so well and always stuck to your principles! Enjoy your free time!
This will be a great loss for Municipal Government. Angie has been a voice of reason on the Council for 16 Years. But her advocacy for all of Watertown, especially East Watertown is decades long.
Angie returned every call from every resident, whether in her district or not. She worked relentlessly to get problems fixed in each case, whether it was major or just getting a pothole fixed.
In an era when certain Councilors use and abuse their elected position to be ACTIVISITS for issues that have nothing to do with Governing Watertown, Angie remained and Ardent ADVOCATE for the needs of those who call Watertown their home.
I’m honored to call her a friend, wish her the very best in the future.
Angie is old school, honest, a good listener, takes care of the nuts and bolts in order to keep the town moving along. She always tries to work on behalf of her constituents on practical matters, not getting caught up in political garbage and flavor of the day activities/initiatives/buzz words. Thank you for your dedicated service Angie, the town owes you a debt of gratitude.
I am sorry to hear this news, but it is understandable. The issues today involving Watertown are much more complex and there is a lot of divisiveness in town politics and people aren’t as tolerant of diverse opinions. Angie has been a voice of reason and always worked hard to get pertinent facts before voting on issues. She has constantly communicated on town issues to people in her district and also the rest of the town. She often attended west end community meetings on the Pleasant St. developments. She should be proud of what she has done for us over all these years. Thank you, Angie, for your tremendous service and dedication.