Elections

LETTER: Watertown Resident Supports State Senate Candidate

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To my Watertown friends and neighbors:

Senator Will Brownsberger is running for re-election and I enthusiastically support his continued service as our State Senator. Over many years of public service, Senator Brownsberger has earned the trust of our communities through thoughtful leadership, accessibility, and an unwavering dedication to serving his constituents. 

I have been especially impressed with Senator Brownsberger’s commitment to improving education in Massachusetts, and in Watertown. The Senator is aware of particular funding challenges that arise in our community. Through his investigation into the highly-complicated funding formula for schools (Chapter 70), he discovered that Watertown was not receiving the money to which we are entitled. Over his 12 years in the State Senate, this has led to nearly $22 million dollars of additional funding coming from the state to Watertown.

Letters

LETTER: Answers and Questions About City Manager’s New Contract

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Hi All,

I read the agenda for last night’s City Council meeting. As I went to the City website and clicked on the City Council agenda, it “beach balled” forever! Thinking that it was my problem, I tried to open other agendas for that evening and found that this did not happen on any of the other agendas. I called 311, and they could not replicate the problem. (By the way, at the City Council meeting later in the day, I saw that Council President Sideris was having a similar problem).

Letters

LETTER: City Should Hire Independent Polling Group to Gauge Public Opinion on Major Issues

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On June 9, two of us – Watertown residents Bruce Coltin and Josh Rosmarin — spoke at the City Council’s public forum to present our case for the City to commission a polling organization to better determine where residents stand on major issues. Here are the texts of our two-minute comments. From Bruce Coltin:

For almost every local election that I can remember, I falsely believed that that election would be the breakthrough election – the one where voters would turn out in record numbers. In Watertown, non-voters have been an overwhelming majority to the tune of about 75%. In our most recent election, the percentage of non-voters rose to just under 80%.

Letters

LETTER: In Support of a Compromise Rent Control Bill

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By Tony PalombaCity Councilor At-Large

As an At-Large City Councilor in Watertown Massachusetts I am acutely aware of the housing storage that Massachusetts is facing – both for those who wish to purchase a home and who would like to rent. We also know that the cost of homeownership and renting is continuing to climb. The burden of these two factors makes it difficult to provide low-income and moderate-income residents with affordable housing. In Watertown approximately half of our residents are renters, 39% of whom are “cost burdened”, meaning that they spend more than one-third of their income on housing. The median income for Watertown renters is $105,360 with many renters having an income of about $77,000.

Letters

LETTER: Hope is Not a Strategy — Pleasant Street and Beyond

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(Updated June 16, 2026 at 2:24 p.m.)

By Linda ScottWatertown Resident

I want to mention three meetings, one that I attended on June 5th that City Council President Mark Sideris conducted. These meetings are a relatively new concept as a result of our last Charter review. Each councilor is required to have one community meeting a year and invite the public. It’s a good idea. I also want to mention the Watertown Planning Board meeting on June 10th on zoom that I attended (thank you to my friend who kept track of this stuff and mentioned it to me when I was otherwise occupied).

Letters

LETTER: Parents Concerned About Students With Disabilities, Call for “Vote of No Confidence” for School Administrator

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To the Editor,

We are a group of Watertown caregivers and community members writing to raise urgent awareness about an active community petition concerning the experiences of students with disabilities in Watertown Public Schools. Families across the district have repeatedly raised concerns regarding access to appropriate special education services, consistency of implementation, communication with families, and meaningful inclusion in decision-making processes. These concerns reflect sustained experiences shared by multiple families over many years and warrant serious public attention. In response, a community petition was created calling for the School Committee to place on its agenda a public discussion and action on a Vote of No Confidence for the Director of Student Services. This petition remains open and active.

Letters

OP-ED: In Support of Instituting Medicare for All

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By David BlitzmanWatertown Resident

My cousin’s life was saved by Obamacare. Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act and Patient Protection Act expanded health coverage for Americans, improved consumer protections, and decreased costs for American consumers. Prior to this act, she was stuck in medical limbo (hell) fighting with insurance as so many Americans are forced to do. However, due to the passage of the Obamacare, her insurance was now mandated to cover the surgery that saved her life. It is due to this fact, that I will always be grateful for Obamacare and how government intervention can and did make the world a better place.

Letters

LETTER: Questions About Letter Endorsed by Majority of Council

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Greetings Councilors:

Am I missing something? On June 3, 2026, a letter appeared in Watertown News; purportedly signed by eight Watertown City Councilors advocating in support of Medicare for All. 

Where was the open public process? I do not recall seeing a City Council Agenda Item that would have allowed for discussion on the topic. Who did the research? Where was the transparency in a Q & A format?