Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/government/)
The Charles River Regional Chamber will host a pair of debates with candidates running to represent Watertown in the State House. The 10th Middlesex House debate with John Lawn and Alison Leary takes place on July 21, and the Suffolk and Middlesex State Senate debate will be on Aug. 10. See more information from the Chamber, below. Join us for two virtual debates between candidates for the State House competing on Sept 1.
The prospect of the Watertown Police Department using a drone will be discussed at the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety on July 9. The drone, which costs $49,396, would be dispatched to an area where a crime or incident like an auto accident is reported. It would be able to get anywhere in town in two minutes, which is faster than the typical response time for a police officer in a cruiser, Watertown Police Chief Justin Hanrahan told the City Council in March. The drone can fly automatically to a location, and can also be overridden and controlled manually. The drone would be dispatched from the Watertown 911 Center, and would not go out to every reported incident, Hanrahan said.
(UPDATED, July 1, 9:43 a.m.: The Library will be open on July 3)
The Fourth of July falls on a Saturday in 2026, so the holiday for most City offices and facilities will be Friday, July 3. See more details in the information from the City of Watertown, below. City Hall, the Parker Building, the Department of Public Works offices, and the Senior Center, will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2026, in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. The Watertown Free Public Library will remain open on July 3, and will be closed on July 4. Despite building closures on Friday, July 3, 2026, trash and recycling collection will remain uninterrupted.
Watertown’s Eileen Ryan was nominated as a Commonwealth Heroine by State Sen. Will Brownsberger. (Courtesy of Will Brownsberger’s office)
Watertown’s Eileen Ryan was one of 147 women from across Massachusetts to be nominated for the Commonwealth Heroine Award. She was nominated by State Sen. Will Brownsberger. See more information in the announcement about Ryan, and nominees from Watertown’s State Representatives in the announcements from the legislators’ offices, below. On Wednesday, June 24, 147 women from across the state gathered to be honored at the Class of 2026 Massachusetts Commonwealth Heroine Awards Ceremony.
Daniel Lander. The following announcement was provided by The Lander Committee:
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu endorsed Daniel Lander in his campaign for State Senate, pointing towards his record delivering real change for Boston residents, and his focus on taking on the broken status quo in the State Senate. With her endorsement, it is clear that Lander’s campaign is catching fire in his effort to unseat Senator Will Brownsberger, the architect of the broken status quo on Beacon Hill. “I’ve been proud to work alongside Daniel to deliver for Boston families, and I know he’ll bring that same results-driven leadership to the State Senate,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “In City Hall, Daniel worked to tackle the housing crisis, helped create Boston Family Days to make our top museums and cultural attractions free for Boston students and families, and took on national food delivery companies to make our streets safer.
The Parker Annex Building (Courtesy of City of Watertown)
City officials have learned what it’s like to renovate a 100+ year old building, and the unwanted surprises that come with it. On Tuesday night, the City Council approved a $373,000 budget transfer to cover the cost of unexpected additional repairs, as well as to insulate the Parker Annex. The former elementary school on Watertown Street opened in 1914, and was sold by the Town in 1986. In 2022, the now City of Watertown bought back the building, which has been turned into office space. Since then, the City has been planning to turn Parker in to a City Hall annex, and hired contractors to renovate the building.
The candidates for the Suffolk & Middlesex State Senate seat will appear at a forum hosted by the Watertown and Belmont Democratic Town Committees. Incumbent Will Brownsberger and challenge Dan Lander will discuss their view on the issues at the forum. The event will be held on Tuesday, June 30 at 7 p.m. at the Coolidge Apartments, 319 Arlington St. in Watertown. The Suffolk & Middlesex District includes Watertown, Belmont, and parts of Cambridge and Boston.
Daniel Lander. The following announcement was provided by The Lander Committee:
Senator Elizabeth Warren endorsed Daniel Lander in his campaign for State Senate, pointing towards his record of delivering real results in Boston, and his willingness to challenge the broken status quo politics that are not working for Massachusetts residents. This endorsement marks the first time that Senator Warren has endorsed against a member of State Senate leadership, making clear that Lander’s campaign has serious momentum in its fight to challenge Senator Brownsberger, the architect of the broken Beacon Hill status quo. “I know firsthand that Daniel is a fighter who is ready to make change for the people of Massachusetts. He’s an organizer, a problem solver, and has an impressive track record of public service.
A rendering of what could be built in and around the Municipal Parking lot in Watertown Square, including a garage and residential building on the parking lot. The image is from the City of Watertown’s virtual open house. One of the biggest topics of discussion around Watertown, these days, is the parking garage proposed to go on the lot behind CVS in Watertown Square. People ask how big, what will it look like, how much will it cost, who will pay for it? There is a key question that needs to be answered first, City Council President Mark Sideris and City Manager George Proakis said in a recent interview with Watertown News: Should the City build a garage?
