4 Question For Framingham D2 Councilor Cesar Stewart-Morales

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Voters in Framingham's District 2 will have a choice on Nov. 2 — reelect first term incumbent Councilor Cesar Stewart-Morales, or opt for Jake Binnall, who would be the district's third new councilor in as many elections.

Stewart-Morales, 39, first won his seat in 2019 against Ricky Finlay, who went on to be appointed a School Committee member in 2021 (and is running for the seat this year). He's since become chair of the Council's environmental subcommittee, and was a member of the powerful finance subcommittee.

Framingham Patch asked both Binnall and Stewart-Morales to answer questionnaires so voters can get to know them and their priorities better. Here's what the sitting councilor said:

Why did you decide to run for a second term in 2021?

Framingham is my hometown and the place where I am raising my children. I have lived in southeast Framingham and in the northeast. While these places are only a few miles apart, the journey has been long and challenging and I have learned a lot along the way. I am a certified public accountant and a senior finance professional with a 20-year accounting career under my belt. I currently work as the Accounting Manager of Vineyard Wind. I am an active and fully-committed resident of the Saxonville- Nobscot area and I am here for the long term. I am your neighbor, and I am volunteering my free time to give back to Framingham and to make sure that we have effective representation for our neighborhoods on the City Council. It has been an honor to serve as District 2 City Councilor and I believe I am the best person to continue doing so because I can put the right mix of real world and professional experience to work for the residents of Framingham. I ask for your continued support and for your vote on or before November 2nd!

What's the biggest issue facing District 2 right now and what do you intend to do about it?

District 2, and Framingham, as a whole, have a lot of work to do to further develop opportunities for city businesses. We need to think creatively about a post-pandemic world and the new commercial landscape and about how we can capitalize on those opportunities. Framingham needs to hire a dynamic leader to run our Planning and Community Development Department and I believe that the City Council has to be a partner in this process.

District 2 stands to benefit directly by being incorporated into an updated economic development plan. The city-owned properties at Watson Place can become the much-desired community center that our City is lacking or a new space that support the arts. The Saxonville Mills is a fantastic business that many other small businesses call home. In the future, the intersection and sidewalk improvements at McGrath Square should be made strategically to enhance pedestrian access to local businesses and combined with additional investment in our trail network, we could see trail-users stopping at Saxonville businesses as they travel through. Development of the Nobscot Plaza will also bring additional shops into our neighborhoods. I have engaged with Mayor Spicer on these needs on several occasions and will continue to advocate for making more progress in this area.

Can you name one transportation priority for District 2 you have?

The Nobscot Chapel has been restored and moved. The relocation of that building will allow the City to implement a redesign to that intersection that is meant to alleviate the congestion and traffic issues that have long been a reality for that part of Nobscot. We have secured grant money to make these improvements including widening the road.

A redesign of the intersection at McGrath Square, where Concord St., Elm St. and Central St. meet I
expect will also have a huge impact in improving our transportation infrastructure in District 2.

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An important priority that I see is that Saxonville and Nobscot have another asset that runs through our neighborhoods, a future trail network. Linking the Cochituate Rail Trail with the Carol Getchell Nature Trail, then to the Weston Aqueduct, which will one day intersect the Framingham section of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail creates an opportunity for developing a path that can be used by people to get around on foot or on two wheels. I am working on setting up a Bicycle, Pedestrian and Trails Committee that will help us focus some attention on this possibility.

How will you work with either a new mayor or the incumbent to get things accomplished in 2022 and beyond?

I have proved to be successful as the Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Subcommittee in working with my colleagues on the Council, with Framingham residents, and with the Mayor’s administration. My experience working in a corporate environment with teams of people with varied skillsets and unique personalities comes in useful when working with others on city matters. I will continue to work professionally and collaboratively with other city leaders and have no doubt that I will be able to work well with whoever the voters send to the Mayor’s office in 2022. I have had a great working relationship with Mayor Spicer because we have worked together on initiatives that that we know will benefit the residents of Framingham. The Environment and Sustainability subcommittee I’ve chaired, has worked with the Mayor’s administration as a true partner. That kind of real collaboration that goes beyond the political talking points and produces tangible results is what is needed in our local government and what I will continue to work towards in the future.

RELATED: 4 Questions For Jake Binnall, Framingham D2 Council Candidate