My Pledge to You

Keep You Informed

Information is one of the most valuable things that I can put in the hands of residents. The issues we face are often many-sided and complex. It can be hard to find the time to research a question from scratch and difficult to know where to start. That’s why I work so hard on the District 1 News. It is the best tool I have to help keep residents aware not just of key news in local government, but to provide the full measure of information on both sides of an issue. I don’t know the answers to every question, but I will do my best to find the answers for you—that way, we both learn something!

• Find me on Facebook, where I keep you up-to-date on upcoming meetings and events.

• Some issues merit special community meetings to give residents a chance to come together and share ideas and concerns with me and with each other.

Listen to You

The first responsibility of local government is to listen to its residents. Finding answers to your questions, documenting your concerns and discussing possibilities is the best way to drive in solutions that make our community a better place to live and work. Good outreach means creating opportunities for constituents to reach out to government. This is why the District 1 News always includes a “Contact Me” button. I want all residents to know that I value your input and I want to hear from you! Email is a great way to reach out, but it is certainly not the only way.

Now that the mask mandate is lifted, I have renewed my office hours! Join me for coffee & conversation:

• Mondays at Montillio’s (703 Granite Street, Braintree) from 10:00-11:00am

• Wednesdays at Panera (400 Franklin Street) from 7:00-8:00pm

Have a neighborhood issue that you want me to come look at? No problem! Just call me at (781) 794-8271. You will reach my cell, and we will arrange a time that works for me to come to you.

Support our Schools

As a former teacher and the parent of two kids in the Braintree Public Schools, I am committed to supporting a strong education for all of our students. As your Town Councilor, I promise:

• To make supporting our schools a high priority at all times

• To place a sharp focus on working to ensure that education remains a high priority in our Town budget.

• To support efforts to improve our school infrastructure so that our teachers and students have a safe, clean, modern, and welcoming environment in which to provide the world-class education I know our teachers are deeply invested in providing.

• To promote an attitude of inclusiveness in all educational initiatives.

Planning and Zoning

Braintree is a great place to live because even though we are a major transportation hub with a strong retail presence and some heavy industry, we’ve maintained a firm commitment to protecting our green space and a strong sense of neighborhood community. Sustaining this balance is one of the greatest challenges we face. As our population grows, I will work to:

• Maintain the integrity & character of our established residential neighborhoods.

• Compel developers to provide substantive contributions to infrastructure required to support their proposals.

Master Plan Steering Committee Member—I am honored to have been selected as a member of the Master Plan Steering Committee. The initiative to create a new master plan for Braintree is long overdue, and my commitment in that endeavor is to ensure that residents are fully engaged in the process from beginning to end. The final document should reflect your values and guide the development of this community in a direction that reflects the will of its residents.

Inclusivity and Accessibility

As a community, Braintree must strive to make sure that we offer a sense of belonging and connection to all of our residents and that each person feels safe and valued for who they are. Rising to this challenge requires more than just good intentions. Our leaders must keep the doors open to dialogue with diverse residents. This is not always easy, but when we do the work, the strength of our community is greatly increased because a diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions and outcomes for all of us.

Ensuring that our physical environment is accessible to all is an important component of inclusion. When we make an effort to remove physical and structural obstacles to accessibility, not only do we increase the equity for our disabled residents, but we increase safety for everyone. As a community, we must:

• Make the completion of a town ADA transition plan a priority.

• Increase the extent to which the disabled community is consulted on accessibility improvements.

• Work to increase enforcement of accessibility laws already on the books.

Budget Accountability

Reviewing the mayor’s proposed budget is one of the most important things that the Town Council does. At its heart, a budget is a reflection of a community’s priorities. On the Committee of Ways and Means, I have worked hard to ensure that our budget charts a course for a sound financial future while remaining aligned with the priorities that our community supports.

Our review of the budget is critical, but I think making myself available to residents as a resource for understanding the budget is just as vital. When residents have questions about the budget, it is important for them to have someone to turn to who can help them understand.

Fighting the Compressor Station

Fighting the compressor station must remain a priority for Braintree. Aside from the threat of catastrophic explosion, the compressor station will produce a massive increase in toxic pollutants to an area that is already burdened with high levels of carcinogenic air and ground pollution. It is a threat to the health and safety of our residents and I will continue to oppose it consistently and forcefully.

• As the council liason to FRRACS (Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station) I have advocated for Braintree to take stronger initiative in the fight against the compressor.

• As FRRACS has worked on its case against the compressor in hearings with FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) I contributed a motion to intervene. This is a lengthy document aimed at demonstrating to the commission why the compressor is a hazard to the area.