Please ask about alternative, NON-POLICE emergency response.
For several consecutive years, the City Council has heard countless hours of public testimony demanding the creation and sustainment of an alternative, non-police emergency response program. The City Council has expressed strong support for non-police emergency response but ultimately, due to budget, was forced to defer to the previous mayor. As a result, we've instead gotten a "reimagining policing" effort co-led by the police, pilot studies about co-response (which includes police presence), and an increase in the police budget with no budgetary allocation for non-police response.
Against a backdrop of continued police violence—and especially in an era of police collaboration with ICE—some of our most vulnerable community members will continue to be unable to access the help they need in their moments of crisis if doing so requires calling the cops.
One of these two candidates will now be the next mayor. Will they both commit to making non-police emergency response an administration priority and allocating funding for such a program, now that they have the power to do so? If not, why not—when the community has spoken loudly and consistently in favor of this approach, and when both of them previously supported it?
New leaders bring change to an organization and while change can be a positive thing, the unknown can cause stress and anxiety. What would you like to share with hardworking city staff now?
Since starting your mayoral campaign, what is a key issue you have learned/learned more about? If you become mayor, how has this key issue changed your leadership plans?
The neighborhood councils are working hard but they lack resources, especially those related to outreach and training. Do you plan to assist neighborhood councils by addressing their needs so they have better opportunities to speak to all their neighbors? Will you consider inviting them to trainings that city staff have access to so they can become stronger? Are there other ways you would advocate for them?
One of the things I love about Somerville is how many ideas people have to make things better for our city.
What are your plans to get to know all staff and ensure that everyone, no matter what their title is, feels welcome to share ideas with you?
What are your plans to take advantage of the wealth of experts who live and/or work in Somerville but are not city staff? What is your strategy to open communications for good ideas and to inspire others to participate?
The next big development planning looks like the Joy Street/Brickbottom neighborhood. Considering how much cultural displacement we have already seen in Somerville over the past two decades and how we are still fighting to preserve the affordable cultural space we have, what are your plans for this upcoming neighborhood? How will you work with Joy Street tenants to advocate for them? And what will you do to ensure that we will see an increase of cultural workspace in this area and in our city in general?
Likely with life science and other commercial building slowing down and the current federal administration making cuts especially to liberal states and cities we will likely see less money coming to Somerville, how would you approach a reduction in funding to Somerville?
The mayor of Somerville manages a $300M budget and a staff of more than 300 specialzied employees. Please share your most relevant professional experiences that have prepared you for a challenge of this scope.
What ideas do the candidates have to calm the proliferation of mopeds that lane split, dodge between real lanes and bike lanes as is convenient, even ride on the sidewalks and bike path?
Please ask about alternative, NON-POLICE emergency response.
For several consecutive years, the City Council has heard countless hours of public testimony demanding the creation and sustainment of an alternative, non-police emergency response program. The City Council has expressed strong support for non-police emergency response but ultimately, due to budget, was forced to defer to the previous mayor. As a result, we've instead gotten a "reimagining policing" effort co-led by the police, pilot studies about co-response (which includes police presence), and an increase in the police budget with no budgetary allocation for non-police response.
Against a backdrop of continued police violence—and especially in an era of police collaboration with ICE—some of our most vulnerable community members will continue to be unable to access the help they need in their moments of crisis if doing so requires calling the cops.
One of these two candidates will now be the next mayor. Will they both commit to making non-police emergency response an administration priority and allocating funding for such a program, now that they have the power to do so? If not, why not—when the community has spoken loudly and consistently in favor of this approach, and when both of them previously supported it?
As mayor, what will you do to address Somerville’s rodent issues?
With charter review on the ballot what are the parts of city charter you would you most like to see addressed
New leaders bring change to an organization and while change can be a positive thing, the unknown can cause stress and anxiety. What would you like to share with hardworking city staff now?
Since starting your mayoral campaign, what is a key issue you have learned/learned more about? If you become mayor, how has this key issue changed your leadership plans?
The neighborhood councils are working hard but they lack resources, especially those related to outreach and training. Do you plan to assist neighborhood councils by addressing their needs so they have better opportunities to speak to all their neighbors? Will you consider inviting them to trainings that city staff have access to so they can become stronger? Are there other ways you would advocate for them?
What can we expect from your community ward meetings? Will the agenda/format look different? How so?
One of the things I love about Somerville is how many ideas people have to make things better for our city.
What are your plans to get to know all staff and ensure that everyone, no matter what their title is, feels welcome to share ideas with you?
What are your plans to take advantage of the wealth of experts who live and/or work in Somerville but are not city staff? What is your strategy to open communications for good ideas and to inspire others to participate?
The next big development planning looks like the Joy Street/Brickbottom neighborhood. Considering how much cultural displacement we have already seen in Somerville over the past two decades and how we are still fighting to preserve the affordable cultural space we have, what are your plans for this upcoming neighborhood? How will you work with Joy Street tenants to advocate for them? And what will you do to ensure that we will see an increase of cultural workspace in this area and in our city in general?
Likely with life science and other commercial building slowing down and the current federal administration making cuts especially to liberal states and cities we will likely see less money coming to Somerville, how would you approach a reduction in funding to Somerville?
The mayor of Somerville manages a $300M budget and a staff of more than 300 specialzied employees. Please share your most relevant professional experiences that have prepared you for a challenge of this scope.
What ideas do the candidates have to calm the proliferation of mopeds that lane split, dodge between real lanes and bike lanes as is convenient, even ride on the sidewalks and bike path?