Braintree Election 2021: Carolann Ricardo For Town Council

BRAINTREE, MA — The Braintree town election is less than two weeks away, and soon voters will hit the polls and elect new members to the Town Council and school committee.

Town Council contested races are in districts 1, 2 and 3., while the school committee will see seven candidates compete for three open seats.

Prior to the election, Patch is running candidate profiles to help inform residents on where candidates stand on the issues. Here's a bit more about Carolann Ricardo, who is running for a seat in District 2, in the Nov. 2 town election.

Carolann Ricardo

Age (as of Election Day)

50

Position Sought

Town Councilor District 2

Family

3 children

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and Social Work, pursuing Master's Degree

Occupation

Social Work

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

https://www.facebook.com/votec...

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am seeking office because it is time to restore trust and integrity within our community. Our elected officials need to act in the best interest of their constituents. I will bring the voice of the residents back to the Town Council. Town Hall is funded by the taxpayers and should operate on behalf of the residents first and foremost.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Accountability - As a resident and an advocate, it has become very clear that many Town Councilors, past and present, have abandoned their primary responsibility which is representing the people. The Council is the checks and balances for our form of government. Unfortunately, after attending many meetings, it has become clear that many on the council simply follow the will of the sitting mayor. I have heard, on numerous occasions, the Chief of Staff state that "the Mayor wants this passed tonight". As your Councilor, I will not abandon my primary responsibility, which is representing my constituents. I will vote in favor of motions IF, and only IF, the result is favorable for my District 2 constituents and the town.

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

I have zero political affiliations, zero political agendas and zero political aspirations. The two candidates in my District 2 race, between them, have decades of political involvement and affiliations and are being endorsed by those with the same affiliations and views.

Leadership is not about power or money. At the core of a good leader is integrity, action and values. A good leader has a voice no matter what. A good leader will ruffle feathers along the way. A good leader will use their voice to EMPOWER the people they serve.

Do you believe Braintree has been moving in the right direction, with accomplishments and full transparency, under the past leadership of my opponents? If your answer to this question is no, then I respectfully ask for your support and vote on Tuesday, November 2nd.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

As I previously stated, my opponents have decades of public service between them, many years spent in this very position, yet we continue to address the same issues and problems over and over again. I will be "new" eyes and a "new" voice to finally work on resolving many "old" problems.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

In my opinion, our local officials lacked visibility, communication and transparency throughout the pandemic. Our elderly population are not tech-savvy and were not kept up to date or informed. Early into the pandemic, I hit the ground running delivering food, lunches and medications to our elderly. It was apparent that many of our elderly residents were confused and lacking vital information.

Overall, I think there is always room for improvement in every aspect of public service. I would like to see all of our local officials come together and discuss how the pandemic was handled and what can be done to improve our response to a community crisis.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Providing a voice for the residents is my primary responsibility. Other issues that must be improved upon are accountability for all and full transparency.

I will strive to restore the confidence of the residents by providing two-way communication and working collaboratively with all parties involved and impacted by issues coming before the Council.

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

Following is a list of some of the issues/projects I have addressed over the past 10 years. For many of these projects, there was a complete lack of transparency and accountability, which resulted in tremendous impacts on the residents if they continued to be handled in this manner.

The projects involved were and continue to be:

1. Schools - Infrastructure including the health and safety of our children
2. The Peterson Pool
3. 40R & Comprehensive Zoning Plan
4. The Compressor Station
5. The Holland 40B and the Graziano/Adams St projects

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Signs don't vote!

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

Voters should know that I am tenacious and action driven in all that I do. I am relentless when handed a task that no one has had the fortitude to tackle. The number of FOIA’s I filed and the number of appeals I filed at the state level regarding the Petersen Trust Fund speaks volumes. Many elected and appointed officials sat idle for years and allowed the Petersen Trust to be used as a political piggy bank.

I have no problem calling people to task and asking the difficult questions. I do not accept political jargon as fact, nor am I easily intimidated by people who are in positions of power. I will not tolerate stonewalling of residents when it comes to public record requests and financial transparency.

Three years ago, our elected officials were working quietly behind the scenes and preparing to sell our community to the highest bidder. A comprehensive zoning plan was crafted with minimal consideration given to the residents' concerns. On the night of the first public hearing for this plan, I was instrumental in organizing one of the largest stand-outs in front of Town Hall. More than 900 residents attended that hearing.

I will continue to bring the voice of the residents back to Town Hall by working hard and representing ALL of the residents, and will support the efforts of the Master Plan Steering Committee to ensure the residents' concerns are not dismissed as they have been in the past.