Town Councilor At-Large Aaron Dushku announced he will not be running for reelection.
Having successfully run for Town Council twice, and getting the most votes in the At-Large race both times, Aaron Dushku will not to run for a third time – but the decision was not an easy one.
With children growing up and parents growing older, Dushku said that felt he should to spend time with his family rather than on the Council.
“My kids and this time with them – and my father has some problems – I would never get these years back,” Dushku said. “It was a really hard decision. I really like being a Town Councilor. I love being a Town Councilor.”
Dushku has a 20-year-old son in college who lives at home, plus a daughter going into high school and his youngest is an eight-year-0ld son. By devoting time to them he would be taking time away from his duties as a Councilor, Dushku said. He also has a day job.
In a typical week, Dushku said he was out two nights a week, but sometimes it was three or four nights. That meant that his youngest would be in bed by the time he got home and he did not have quality time to spend with the older ones.
“It is a shame it came to this. I feel we (the Council) are doing some good work,” Dushku said. “I have a day job. I have to pay the bills.”
Unlike bigger cities, like Boston and Cambridge, which pay Councilors like they it is a full-time job, a Watertown Town Councilor receives a $7,500 stipend. It was just raised to that from $5,000 after 18 years.
However, Dushku said this will not be his swan song in local politics.
“I’ll be back when it works better for me,” he said.
Dushku stressed that he worked as part of a team with the other Councilors, and said he is proud of several accomplishments during his two terms – almost four year – on the board.
“A lot of us worked hard to raise funds for the Watertown Public Schools,” Dushku said. “The schools have had a big increase in funding the last few years.”
He also was glad to see that municipal and school officials have agreed to hire a joint facilities manager, eliminating duplication of services on both sides of the government.
He was part of the Public Works Committee, and he said he believes that subcommittee has been able to work well with town officials. Many of the accomplishments Dushku pointed to fall under that committee.
Dushku was happy with the new trash and recycling contract, in which he pushed for residents to be able to buy a second recycling toters for a reduced rate. It wound up being half of the cost from previous contract.
He also has been a proponent of reducing traffic in town by reducing parking requirements in new developments, and by requiring companies and residential developments cut the number of people traveling in single-occupant vehicles, i.e. driving solo. The Town Council approved the Traffic Demand Management (TDM) ordinance to formalize those efforts.
Another highlight for Dushku was the passage of the Bring Y0ur Own Bag ordinance, which also prohibits stores from using the thin-plastic bags.
Dushku pulled papers to run “just in case” he changed his mind, but he was happy to see some good candidates come forward.
“I’ve been thinking about it for months,” Dushku said. “I have been talking it over with my wife, and I felt around to see who else would run.”
In what may be the first endorsement of the election, Dushku said he felt better about his decision when he saw one name on the list of candidates.
“When I knew David Stokes would run, I felt easier about it,” Dushku said. “I think David is a really hard worker who is ready to hit the ground running.”
That is not to say that he does not think the other candidates have good qualities.
“I don’t know Anthony (Donato) well, but I know he is thought of well around town. So is Caroline Bays,” Dushku said. “I have gotten to know Michelle (Cokonougher) a bit. She’s energetic.”
Plus there are the two current Councilors running for reelection.
“Tony (Palomba) and Mike (Dattoli) are good people – really good people,” Dushku said. “We have good people on the Council. Despite what you read on some Facebook pages we’re doing a good job.”
It still surprises me that anyone is willing to serve as Councilor or Council President given the pay vs the responsibilities which are completely imbalanced. Many times I’ve felt that it was almost wrong to criticize councilors for how they’re doing their job when I essentially consider them volunteers.
Our town government needs to change which means that we need to change. We want real accountability at the ballot box so we need a mayor & council who earn real salaries w/benefits & can devote the appropriate amount of time to dealing with our town’s issues & answer to constituents at the ballot box.
Councilor Dushku’s announcement should be a rally cry as the At-Large candidate with the most votes 2 consecutive elections is bowing out because he doesn’t have time to essentially “volunteer” as a town councilor anymore – if we offered a competitive compensation package he could have chosen to stay with the town; it’s really that simple… & imagine the candidate field that those terms would draw.
Aaron, I get it. Thank you for all of the time & effort that you’ve put into helping guide Watertown’s growth.
Best of luck & best wishes to your family; I hope that you are able to enjoy some quality time together.
Hear! Hear! Watertown faces unprecedented challenges and yet we are trying to make do with a governmental structure from decades in the past. Councillors are essentially volunteering. We don’t have a mayor. Un-elected officials have too much power. It is time for Watertown to collectively contemplate what it needs to do to meet the challenges facing our government in the twenty-first century. We need a charter review.
Agreed, and when thinking about this, consider the school committee as well. Members earn less than half this amount (~$220 or so a month I think. On average I have dedicated 10+ hours per week. You can do the math if you pay a sitter at least $15 per hour). This doesn’t even cover babysitting costs for those with small children. If you are a single parent or have a spouse who works long hours, you are paying to serve. I am lucky that care hasn’t been an issue, but that isn’t the case for all current members and SC candidates.
The low earnings, large time commitments, and stressful nature of service prevent great people from wanting to serve the town. The town and schools lose out on talented, committed people who would better represent the economic and ethnic diversity of citizens and students, and perhaps be more qualified than current officials. I urged so many people to run for SC and the common response (among people who care very deeply about WPS) is “No way. I can’t make that commitment with my current responsibilities.” If, as Anne suggested, we offered compensation commensurate with the responsibilities (at least as a poorly paid half time professional worker), we would have a stronger committee and school system. I am so grateful that the new SC candidates, given their caliber, professional responsibilities, and family obligations are willing to take on this role.
Also, the perverse incentive of *life-long* healthcare after so many years of service needs to be abolished. I often wonder why some people continue to run for office despite low engagement and then I remember that incentive. If you are not currently and gainfully employed, that is a powerful incentive.
One of the best members of our town government, he will be missed but hopefully back soon.