City Council - Final Questionnaire
The following questionnaire was developed from hundreds of questions submitted by citizens and members of nearly forty different community groups.
Candidate responses to this questionnaire are due Tuesday, October 1, 2007 by 5pm, and will be posted verbatim on www.votemedford.org.
The questions will also be the basis for a TV interview, which will air on TV3 and for the first time this year, will also appear on our website. Candidates will be asked five (5) questions for the TV interview. The questions will come from the following categories and will be similar to, but not the same as, the questions on the questionnaire: affordable housing, transportation, Green Line, Medford Square revitalization, parking enforcement, historical preservation, arts and culture, budget, public safety, the environment, water bills, and the Tufts-Medford relationship.
City Council Questionnaire
- People are leaving or bypassing our city because they cannot afford to rent or buy a home here. In addition many Medford seniors are on waiting lists for housing that keep getting longer. What has the city done and what will you do to create more affordable-housing opportunities for working people and seniors in Medford?
- Many people have publicly said that roads, signs, crosswalks and lights in or near Wellington, Station Landing, the I-93 rotary, Medford Square and the intersection of Forest and High create hazardous conditions for motorists and pedestrians. Also, bicycles are becoming a primary green mode of transportation, so other cities such as Cambridge and Somerville are making cycling safer by constructing formal bike paths and creating bike lanes along primary and secondary streets. How can Medford be made a truly safe city for walkers, bikers and motorists, and what will your contribution be?
- Medford is a very diverse community. The city council's composition does not reflect people of color, people of low income, people of foreign birth or gay people who are a considerable part of the city's demographics. What can you as a city representative do to encourage diverse participation in our government? Please be specific.
- Most City Council members have been publicly noncommittal regarding the extension of the Green Line to Medford. Through citizen initiatives, studies have been written, public hearings held and communications with state officials opened. At some point, however, Medford's elected representatives will have to join the effort. Do you support the concept of introducing the Green Line to Medford? What do you see yourself doing on the issue over the next two years?
- With a master plan for Medford Square already written, the heart of the city should be well beyond the vision stage. Please tell us what three recommendations of the master plan you believe are the most critical and what you are going to do to make them realities.
- South Medford is saddled with roads and sidewalks in disrepair, chronic traffic problems and a school complex that is still sitting vacant. If elected, what would you do remedy the situation?
- Medford is one of the oldest cities in the United States. Today citizens perform the tasks of promoting historical tourism and preserving historical properties, buildings and artifacts, but with no money or central coordination. How can the city protect and invest in its historic resources? If you were elected, would you support a bond initiative for the preservation of Medford's historic properties and artifacts? Please elaborate.
- Cities across New England (Boston, Providence, Waltham, Lowell, Chelsea, etc.) consider the development of artist studios key components of their overall economic- and cultural-revitalization strategies. Medford still does not have an arts center and relative to other Massachusetts cities, Medford devotes little money to cultural undertakings. What role do you think local art and culture plays in Medford's revitalization efforts and what specifically will you do in this area?
- This year's budgeting process included the city council's passing a 500-page school budget without reading it,
announcements about unanticipated deficits and a one-time calling in of debt to balance the books for 2007. What are your ideas on how the city's budget process could be improved and made more publicly transparent?
- A new state law allows municipalities to join the state employee Group Insurance Commission (GIC) as a potential means to drive down the cost of health insurance for municipal workers. Do you support or oppose having the city join the GIC and why? Are you currently on the city's health insurance plan?
- Medford's parks are being vandalized. What can the city do to rid the parks of crime and its consequences, which include graffiti, broken playground equipment and trash? What do you believe the root cause of the problem is? What is your solution and how would you implement it?
- How could Medford improve environmental and recycling practices within the public schools and other city buildings, including senior housing, and more aggressively promote recycling by the private sectors? For instance, do you believe Medford could attract businesses that use only recycled materials or that converts recycled materials into useful products? How?
- The water department has recently come under public criticism for high water bills and failing to implement a second metering system for water that does not involve the sewer system. It is also running a $3 million deficit that is being looked at by an independent auditor. What are you doing to address this situation?
- How would you describe Medford's relationship with Tufts University? Do you think improvements could be made, and where do you see opportunities for partnerships between Medford and Tufts? Please be specific.
- The Middlesex Fells Reservation, the Mystic River and the Mystic Lakes provide thousands of acres of public open space for healthy outdoor recreation. What are the primary challenges facing these three vital resources and what joint projects or other endeavors would you undertake with residents and the state to improve them and protect them for generations to come?
