Government

State Rep. Steve Owens Hosting 2 Office Hours in Watertown

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State Rep. Steve Owens. State Rep. Steve Owens will host a pair of office hours in Watertown during the month of June. See details in the announcement provided by Owen’s office, below. Please come visit me at my next office hours:

Thursday, June 11 from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at Triangle Coffee Bar (66 Galen St, Watertown, MA 02472)

Monday, June 15 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Watertown Senior Center (31 Marshall St, Watertown, MA 02472)

Friday, June 26 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the Collins Branch of the Cambridge Public Library (64 Aberdeen  Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138)

The Statehouse is open to the public and my legislative office is in suite 167. The office phone number is (617) 722-2230.

Elections

State Senate Candidates Appearing at Public Forum

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The candidates for the Suffolk and Middlesex State Senate District — Will Brownsberger and Daniel Lander — will appear at a candidate forum in Boston. The district includes Watertown, Belmont and parts of Boston and Cambridge. See more information from the Boston Ward Committee Dems, below. Join the Boston Democratic Wards 4 and 5 Committees for a lively conversation with the candidates running for seats in the Mass Senate. The Forum will be a double-header, with candidates for the Suffolk & Middlesex State Senate race speaking from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. — and the candidates for the First Suffolk State Senate race speaking from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Confirmed candidates: Senator Nick Collins, Latoya Gayle, and Juwan Skeens (First Suffolk); Senator Will Brownsberger and Daniel Lander (Suffolk & Middlesex).

Government

Council President Sideris Will Host Town Hall Style Meeting

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City Council President Mark Sideris. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

City Council President Mark Sideris invites the public to his annual Councilor Meeting with the public on June 8. He will take questions from people in attendance. See more details in the announcement from the City of Watertown, below. Please join Council President Mark Sideris in the City Council Chamber of City Hall on Monday, June 8, 2026, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. for his Annual Councilor Meeting.

Government

City Council Passes Budget, Now Await Legislature’s Decision on Tax Relief

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Watertown City and State officials appeared before a joint committee at the State House on Jan. 27, 2026. Pictured, from left, Steve Owens, George Proakis, John Lawn, Earl Smith, and Mark Sideris. The City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2027 budget, but the City’s financial future could be darkened if the State does not approve a tax relief legislation submitted by the City. The Council unanimously approved the $226.21 million budget on Tuesday night without any changes from the one presented by City Manager George Proakis in April.

Elections

Daniel Lander’s Campaign for State Senate Endorsed by Progressive Victory

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Daniel Lander. Daniel Lander is proud to announce that his campaign for State Senate has earned the endorsement of Progressive Victory, a national organization at the forefront of digital-first political organizing. The endorsement highlights growing momentum for Lander’s campaign, signaling that Lander’s vision for a more effective state government is a top priority for progressive activists here in Massachusetts. Progressive Victory has worked alongside transformative national leaders such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Ro Khanna, and Texas State Rep. James Talarico. They are supporting the Lander campaign because of his focus on taking on the broken status quo in the Massachusetts State Senate.

Government

Veterans Services Being Run by Human Services Director as City Seeks to Fill Position

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Watertown veterans presented the colors during the 2025 Memorial Day Ceremony. (Photo by Charlie Breitrose)

Watertown currently lacks a dedicated veterans services officer, but while the City works to fill the opening the Director of Human Services has taken on most of that role. Jenna Bancroft, the director of the Human Services Department, has been working to get veterans their benefits, and is helping to plan the Memorial Day Parade and related events, she told the City Council at the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget hearing on May 6. In Fiscal Year 2026, the current year, the Veterans Services Department merged into the newly created Human Services Department, said City Manager George Proakis. The City hired Jay Terminiello in October 2025, succeeding longtime VSO Patrick George.

Government

Human Services Department Adding Van, Staff to Help Meet Needs of Residents

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The Parker Annex Building, home to the Watertown Food Pantry and soon of the Human Services Department. (Courtesy of City of Watertown)

Less than a year old, the Watertown Human Services Department has plans to add new programs, such as a van to deliver meals and other services, and boxes with life-saving medicine for people overdosing. The Human Services Department’s first director, Jenna Bancroft, spoke to the City Council at a hearing on May 6. “Human Services is just 10 months old as a department, so we haven’t had a full year of service here in Watertown,” Bancroft said. “I will say too that the budget that we’ve proposed, I’m really excited for what we’re doing this coming year, as we continue to build relationships and really think about the needs and the gaps in the community.”

Government

Setback in Effort to Bring Post Office Back to Watertown Square

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After signs of progress toward a Post Office branch returning to Watertown Square, City of Watertown officials recently received some bad news. City Manager George Proakis told the City Council Tuesday night that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) informed the developers working on the project at 104-106 Main St. that they do not plan to open a branch in Watertown’s downtown. “Recently, the USPS informed O’Connor Capital Partners that they no longer wish to explore adding locations as part of a wider strategy shift, despite the willingness and interest from the parties involved,” Proakis said. “My understanding is they canceled multiple in-progress conversations about opening retail storefronts far beyond just Watertown.”