Braintree Candidate Profile: Julia Flaherty For Town Council

BRAINTREE, MA — November's election will bring some new faces to the Town Council. There's 17 candidates running for nine seats, and five of those races are wide-open.

District 1 is among those open races and is where Julia Flaherty will square off against John McKinley. The seat became open after Town Councilor Charles Kokoros decided to run for mayor.

Patch asked the candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near. Here's a little about Flaherty before the Braintree town election on Nov. 5.

Previously on Patch:

• Braintree Candidate Profile: Thomas Reynolds Jr. For Mayor
• Braintree Candidate Profile: Charles Kokoros For Mayor
• Braintree Candidate Profile: Timothy Carey For Town Council
• Braintree Candidate Profile: Lawrence Mackin For Town Council

The single most pressing issue facing Braintree is _______, and this is what do you intend to do about it?

Braintree’s challenge right now is how to contend with the pace of development we’re currently experiencing. Braintree is a great place to live for many reasons, so it’s easy to understand why so many people want to live here. However, for every housing unit that we build, we must be mindful of how the new occupancy will impact the burden on our schools, roads, and first responders. Blind growth is a clumsy mistake that can be avoided with better planning. We need to make thoughtful choices about what kind of growth makes sense for Braintree and that begins with an updated master plan.

Not only must we update our plan, but the process through which we produce that update must be one that involves resident input in a meaningful way, right from the start. It has to be more than just a couple of people selected by the mayor and town councilors. Our master plan is meant to be the shared vision of all of our residents, so it is critical for the residents involved to be representative of our town’s population as a whole.

Finally, once a new master plan is in place, it shouldn’t be left on a shelf to gather dust. It must be used regularly to assess our progress toward the goals we identify and to determine the next steps necessary to move in the direction we want. Otherwise, it serves no purpose.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

For the past 15 years, I have been living in Braintree, raising my family, and volunteering in different places where I thought my skills could be an asset. My virtue isn’t that I was raised in Braintree, but rather that I know what it takes to raise a family here now.

In terms of the skill set necessary to a town councilor, where I stand out is in my ability to communicate information to people in clear, relatable language, to foster constructive discussion, and a relentlessly pragmatic attitude toward problem-solving. These skills all stem from my experience as a teacher, where communication was essential, and where I had to work to meet the needs of the class as a whole, not just the loudest members of the group.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

The proposed compressor station is an issue that I am fully committed to fighting. If it is built, it will be the only compressor station in America built in an area as densely populated as ours. Other compressor stations are built in far more remote locations because of the danger of explosion. In fact, the company that wants to build the compressor station right next to our homes and schools just had a massive explosion in Kentucky, creating a conflagration that could be seen from from four miles away. If it doesn’t explode - sadly a best case scenario - it will still pour all kinds of carcinogenic fumes into the air we breathe. As a cancer survivor, I am committed to keeping our community, and especially our children, as safe from carcinogens and other toxins as we can.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My commitment to Braintree is demonstrated through all the ways that I have worked to strengthen numerous aspects of our community. My work on the Integrated Preschool PTO, the School Advisory Board, and as a Girl Scout Troop leader demonstrates a commitment to our schools and to Braintree youth. My work for the Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS) and Moms Demand Action demonstrates my commitment to the environment we live in and our collective safety as a community. My service to the Braintree Neighbor Brigade demonstrates my commitment to meeting the needs of all of our residents.

What's your favorite thing about Braintree?

Hands down, it’s our teachers.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

A number of years ago, the South Shore Plaza bought a parcel of land adjacent to Flaherty School that is currently zoned as Residential. The plaza has made repeated efforts to have that property rezoned as Highway Business--a necessary first step to additional expansion. It is my strong feeling that the zoning of this property should remain unchanged. Infinite expansion for the plaza is unsustainable in Braintree and cannot be the mall’s solution to contending with the changing nature of our retail economy.

Additionally, traffic stands among the top concerns mentioned by residents I’ve spoken to in my travels through Braintree knocking on doors. Reducing the congestion in town, ameliorating the problem of neighborhood cut-through speeders, maintaining our roads, and employing traffic enforcement where necessary must remain a high priority in Braintree.

Finally, I am sensitive to issues of accessibility in our community. Blocked sidewalks, improper curb cuts, and inadequate ADA compliance in our schools and municipal buildings should be a priority for our town to address. I have a lot to learn in this area, but I am listening.

The election is on Nov. 5. When that day comes, I hope you will consider voting for me.