Framingham Candidate Profile: Cheryl Gordon For City Council

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Framingham will have several contested races in the November election, including the District 5 City Council seat, which is a three-way race. District 5 is included in the Sept. 17 preliminary election. Like many other Districts on the ballot, District 5 has no incumbent running as more than half of the sitting councilors announced they will not seek re-election.

Framingham Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Cheryl Gordon, 47, is running for District 5 City Councilor. Her opponents are Noval Alexander and Robert Case. Gordon works as a real estate agent and served on Town Meeting for 12 years as well as on the Standing Committee on Public Safety and the School Committee. She has two children.

Are you running for office in Framingham? Contact Samantha Mercado at samantha.mercado@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Framingham Patch.

Previously on Patch: Tides Are Turning In Framingham City Council: Election Season

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

Taxes. I am very concerned that we keep raising taxes, but still haven’t done anything about various issues such as the excessive # of city owned take home vehicles that we allow – these should only be for employees who are regularly responding to emergency situations off-hours. This issue has been ongoing for 20+ years. It’s time to finally get this issue resolved, create a specific ordinance for it, if necessary, and then move onto other ways we can more responsibly manage taxpayer money. I joined the Framingham Business Association last winter because I was concerned that the city doesn’t do enough to encourage new businesses to come here or grow here which would lessen some of the burden on the residential taxpayers. I would like Framingham to be more proactive in recruiting companies to move to Framingham! The Economic Development Subcommittee has done some excellent work to loosen signage rules and I would like to see even more done to make it easier for new businesses to open and existing businesses to grow.

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

I have been focused on what is going on in Framingham for decades, not just a year or two. I watch the Planning Board and Zoning Board Meetings as well as other meetings such as Licensing Board. I have an understanding of the many open issues and can seamlessly transition into the role without having to constantly ask others questions or have every detail explained to me or other things that slow down progress. If the job of district councilor were longer, I would say a learning curve would be fine, but these terms are realistically 18 months long (after considering the 6 month long campaign season), and if by the time a candidate learns about how our government runs or becomes familiar with ongoing planning and zoning initiatives/projects, the term is over, significant time and opportunities have been wasted. I believe anyone considering running for council should spend at least a couple years watching all the meetings in all areas of our government and learning about initiatives that are already being undertaken around the city so everything isn’t brand new to them. I have experience on the School AND municipal/city side, and I am ready to hit the ground running on DAY 1.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

I have developed a very friendly rapport with individuals across many city departments and committees over the decades, already have many of their #s programmed into my phone, and will ensure you always get prompt access to the help you need when you have an issue. I will be your 24/7 City Hall Resource.

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

I have always been a great multi-tasker. I am raising two children, have always worked full time, and still find a way to also volunteer/serve my community. I am proud of winning a town-wide seat on the School Committee, and in addition to working full time, I attended 100% of the meetings and executive sessions. Attendance is important to me and my constituents can count on me being available to them and making sure they have a vote. I do not travel or go on vacations. I recently changed careers and have even more flexibility to serve my constituents, and I am excited to put my decades of Framingham knowledge, experience, and my wide array of skills to work as a district councilor. I have always and will always promptly respond to any constituent in Framingham, even outside of my district and help you in any way possible.

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

During our first term as a city, I have never had my district councilor ask me how I feel about an initiative or idea that is before the council. In my opinion, the position of district councilor is a representative role, and to that end, I will continuously discuss ideas or topics that come before the council with constituents and have open ears to what they feel should be my priorities for our district and our city. I am always willing to meet a constituent for a coffee! My contact info is on my facebook page.