Elections

Find Out What the District B Hopefuls Said at the Candidate Forum

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Candidates in for District B discussed the biggest issues they see for the district and the town and why they are running for the Town Council during Wednesday night’s Candidate Forum hosted by Watertown News. 

When asked by moderator Will Twombly about what they thought was the biggest issue was each had their own view. For challenger Kevin MacDonald, a Watertown Firefighter, traffic was his biggest concern. “Traffic is a mess, and I keep reading things from the Council and the Comprehensive Plan talking about reducing the amount of parking, and I they think that will alleviate traffic,” MacDonald said. “But it forces people out onto residential streets to park.” Traffic also weighs on challenger Patty van Dinter’s mind.

Entertainment

Come Hear the District B Candidates at the Watertown News Forum

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Come hear from the Candidates for District B Town Council at the Candidate Forum hosted by Watertown News, and bring your questions! The forum will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 2 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Watertown Free Public Library’s Watertown Savings Bank Room. Attendees will have the chance to submit their questions to the candidates, so come with some ideas. Four people are running for the Council seat for District B, which means there will be a Preliminary Election on Thursday, Sept.

Elections

Find Out About the Candidates Running for District B Town Councilor

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This year’s town election is full of interesting races, and the perhaps the most interesting one is District B where four candidates are running for Town Council. With such a crowded field, the town must hold a Preliminary Election to narrow the field to two. The election will be held on Thursday, Sept. 17. Watertown News sent each candidate a questionnaire to find out more about why they are running and who they are.

Elections

Candidate Questionnaire: Kevin MacDonald

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Kevin MacDonald is running for District B Town Councilor. The preliminary election is on Thursday, Sept. 17. Why did you decide to run for District B Town Councilor, is there an issue that drew you in? To be honest, I did not have any intention of running for Town Council.

Elections

Candidate Questionnaire: Cecilia Lenk

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Cecilia Lenk is running for reelection in the race for District B Town Councilor. The Preliminary Election is on Thursday, Sept. 17. 
Why did you decide to run for District B Town Councilor, is there an issue that drew you in? I first decided to run for Town Councilor, because I thought that I could bring my work and life experience to give back to the community that my family and I love so much. Since first being elected to the Town Council, I’m proud of the work that I’ve done on a host of issues that matter deeply to me – increasing the budget for the Watertown public schools, making our community greener and more sustainable, and making government more efficient, effective, and transparent through the better use of technology and data.

Elections

LETTER: Council Candidate’s Ideas for Unused Branch Libraries

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Watertown’s two branch libraries have been vacant since closing in 2006.  During the past decade, two separate re-use committees have struggled to find appropriate utilization for the decaying buildings. Any re-use of either branch library will require heavy reconstruction, and costs for proposed uses by outside groups have been estimated to exceed the return on investment. Some have indicated that selling one or both of these buildings is the only solution, while others point to the former Parker School as a reason to maintain ownership. Along with the former Police Station building, I believe that Watertown has the potential for an innovative approach to managing and revitalizing these vacant sites, which takes into account other challenges our local economy is already confronted with. For example, re-use should address job creation, the rise in out-of-district educational costs, and attempt to make health care costs more affordable.

Elections

LETTER: Another Councilor’s Response to the Fire Union’s Questionnaire

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Dear Mr. Mannix and Members of IAFF Local 1347:

Thank you for reaching out to the candidates in the upcoming town elections regarding their position on the outstanding Watertown Firefighters contract. I must respectfully decline to complete the enclosed questionnaire on this issue prepared by the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts (PFFM) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) given the lawsuit filed by IAFF Local 1347 on March 19, 2015 against the Town of Watertown in which I was named as a defendant. My record as a District B Councilor and life-long Democrat clearly indicates my support for the Town’s 12 unions and the collective bargaining process. During my tenure as District B Councilor, I have consistently supported policies and budgets that will provide salaries and benefits to all the Town’s union employees commensurate with those in our peer communities. I take extremely serious the Council’s role as the fiscal authority for Watertown; and in that role, I was one of 8 Councilors who voted against the non-binding arbitration decision on Dec.

Around Town

LETTER: Councilor’s Response to Fire Union’s Candidate Questionnaire

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The following letter is District A Town Councilor Angeline Kounelis’ response to a Candidate Questionnaire sent to her by Robert Mannix, President of Watertown Fire Fighters Local 1347 (see the Fire Union Letter and Questionnaire below):

Dear Mr. Mannix:

Please be advised, on 03/19/15, Thomas A. McManus, Kevin MacDonald, Stephan Ciara and Watertown Fire Fighters, International Assoc. of Fire Fighters, Local 1347, the Plaintiffs, filed Civil Action No. 15-1551 in the County of Middlesex, Trial Court of Massachusetts, Superior Court Dept. The Defendants are the City of Watertown; Town Manager Michael J. Driscoll, and nine individually named City of Watertown Council, inclusive of myself. On the advise of my legal counsel, because of the aforenoted litigation, I am precluded from replying to the 08/03/15 Candidate’s Questionnaire.