Braintree Candidate Profile: Steve Sciascia 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.

The District 2 race is among the contests with open seats, as Councilor Thomas Whalen has decided not to seek re-election. Steve Sciascia John Mullaney entered the race and will compete for the open seat.

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 Sciascia 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
• Braintree Candidate Profile: Julia Flaherty For Town Council
• Braintree Candidate Profile: David Ringius For Town Council

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

The future. There are two starkly different visions being offered for Braintree’s future and this election will determine which path we follow. One offers increased development without the benefit of a plan for traffic, schools, open space or pedestrian safety. The other calls for strategic planning and infrastructure investment before too much new development is allowed.

I believe that we need to briefly pause and think about how we are going to solve the problems we already have with our roads and our schools. Only when that is done should we think about what the right kind of development for Braintree will be and how we want to encourage the kind of development we want. Braintree is a highly desirable community with a lot of options. We should know what all of those options are and not just react to what is in front of us.

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

I have been advocating for Braintree to update its master plan since 2017. I was an early and vocal critic of the proposed zoning changes and the proposed 40B development. I want to see more development in our historic town squares and I want our zoning laws updated. However, both of these proposals being put before the residents are completely contrary to our shared vision of what our town should be.

My positions on these and other issues are not recent calculations because I am running for Town Council. Rather, I am running for Town Council because I have been advocating these positions for years and want the opportunity to be a voice for the residents when it comes time for the Town Council to vote on them.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Long-term decisions are being made for Braintree without the benefit of a long-term plan. In particular, we need a strategic plan and prioritization of needs in the following areas:

• Affordable veterans and senior housing
• Roadway and pedestrian improvements
• School building maintenance
• Open space
• Neighborhood traffic and buffering
• Town Square revitalization

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

I run my own business with 8 employees. I manage every aspect of that business from technology and procurement to scheduling services for 2,500 customers a year. Prior to that I was a vice president at State Street where I reported directly to the chief talent officer and oversaw an $85 million budgeting process for a 200 person organization. Before that I was a Vice President at Bank of America and Columbia Management Group where I served as strategic planning, reporting and analytics manager and director of business operations. I have a Bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston College and a Master’s degree in business administration from Yale.

But the only thing that is truly evidence that I can handle this job is the time and effort I have devoted for years trying to come up with ways that Braintree can do better planning for its future. I am deeply involved with the North Braintree Civic Association and other resident working groups. If elected to town council, I will not be a town councilor that incidentally gets involved with neighborhood issues. I will be a resident that is consistently involved with neighborhood issues and is incidentally a Town Councilor. I have proven to all that I have worked with that I will honestly represent the interests of the residents and nobody else.

What's your favorite thing about Braintree?

I grew up in a town where most people went away to college and never went back. It amazes me that, so close to a metropolitan area, we have not just a town but a true community of neighbors that love our town and many of whom would stay forever if they could.

Braintree is convenient to everything, has an amazing place in history and great community features like the farmers’ market and the library. Our school employees and teachers exceed our expectations every day.

I want to make sure that my kids, and those that follow, can grow up to appreciate how special Braintree really is.

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

I believe that every person working for the town and running for office now is doing what they think is in the best interest of Braintree. But that doesn’t mean that they are all right. As a diverse community, we will always disagree on some things, but, as long as we respectfully listen to each other, we will work it all out. Having a comprehensive plan in place for all areas of Braintree is the best way to be sure that we at least agree on where we are headed and how we are going to get there.

I believe that the preliminary master planning process needs to be in the hands of the residents rather than the Planning Department or outside consultants.