Braintree Town Councilor Running For Norfolk County Commissioner

BRAINTREE, MA — Town Councilor Charles Ryan has announced his candidacy for Norfolk County Commissioner.

Ryan has been involved in Braintree politics since 1998 and spent the last 13 years on the Town Council. The councilor has also served Norfolk County Advisory Board for the last 16 years.

He said he wants to use that experience to serve even more people across the county.

"I have devoted my entire adult life to public service," Ryan said. "As a county commissioner, I can continue and expand that service and help serve more communities and citizens."

Learn more about Ryan's background and where he stands on the issues below:

Background

Ryan attended Boston Latin and Catholic Memorial before earning a degree in marine engineering from Mass Maritime and an MBA from UMass Boston.

He is a single dad with two young adult sons. He served as a member of the special education parents advisory council to support his son who has Asperger’s Syndrome.

More than three decades ago, Ryan started his career at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority as a diesel power plant operator. After numerous promotions, he is now the Director of Wastewater Operations responsible for a staff of over 200.

Issues

Court House Capital Plan

Ryan is a trained engineer and said he has extensive experience managing buildings and capital planning. He said, “that our existing county courthouse buildings are aging and desperately need a plan to keep them in good shape. Without a well-thought-out plan, boiler and heating issues, window and door replacement, roofs and an aging infrastructure can become much larger problems.”

"As county commissioner, I will make sure that our courthouse buildings have a five-year capital plan, that the plan is updated annually and that the plan is followed," Ryan said.

Expanded Regional Partnerships

Ryan said he sees an opportunity to develop regional partnerships that benefit those communities who participate, especially during the difficult financial times that will result from the coronavirus pandemic, local governments will be struggling to provide even the most basic services.

"As county commissioner, I will work to develop and expand voluntary regional partnerships and collaborations that allow a smaller community to experience the benefits of a larger collaborative," Ryan said. "As an example, I want to expand a regional purchasing collaborative where local governments can pool their purchases and, through economies of scale, receive the benefits and cost savings from large group purchases."

Finances

While serving on the Norfolk County Advisory Board, Ryan said he's been a "fiscal watchdog" working to ensure that limited tax dollars are spent wisely.

“As county commissioner, I will work to ensure that the county invests in capital improvements for our court house buildings, golf course and agricultural high school to ensure that they continue to serve the community," Ryan said. "I will also work to ensure that the $31.7 million county budget is built on the best management and financial practices available.”

Coronavirus

Ryan said the first concern relative to county government is safety — safety for county employees and for the general public. He supports all of the steps taken by the county to date.

"I would work to ensure that employees and public voices are heard and listened to as policies and safety measures are developed and put in place," Ryan said. "To that end, I would call for the formation of employee and user advisory groups for each aspect of county government relative to safety measures being taken and how and when services should be open to the public."

Wollaston Rec/Golf Course

Ryan believes the facilities of the Wollaston Recreation Center are a valued asset serving a wide range of citizens from throughout the county. Ryan said he will work tirelessly to ensure that these facilities are well maintained and supported.

"As we struggle to deal with the effects of the coronavirus, I will work hard to ensure that, along with sensible safety restrictions, if at all possible, the county will keep the 93 acre public golf course open for use," Ryan said.