Framingham D4 Councilor Michael Cannon Talks About 2021 Run

FRAMINGHAM, MA — There are four incumbent Framingham Councilors who are running unopposed in 2021: District 3 Councilor Michael Cannon, District 1 Councilor Christine Long, District 6 Councilor Phil Ottaviani and District 8 Councilor John Stefanini.

Even though their reelections are a given, Patch wanted to ask them a few questions to find out why they chose to run this year, and what they want to do in the next term — and how to get more citizens to participate in local politics.

Cannon was part of Framingham's first-ever class of City Councilors elected in 2017 after the transition away from a town form of government. That year, he won the District 4 seat in a race against activist Amanda Shepard. He ran unopposed in 2019 and is going unchallenged this year after potential challengers pulled out of the race long before the primary.

Here's what Cannon had to say about his impending third term:

Why did you choose to run for reelection in 2021?

I’m very proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish over the last four years, but I know we have barely scratched the surface of what we can achieve together. From working with our seniors to protect the Callahan Senior Center when it was under threat by the mayor with a different plan; to bringing the services of Daniel’s Table into our schools; to reducing municipal red tape for our local businesses; to taking on apartment developers seeking tax breaks; to standing up to the mayor on irresponsible budget requests (the latter has saved the average residential taxpayer thousands of dollars). I've been privileged to be a small part of a lot of successes, but there is so much more to be done. While the mayor hasn't had an effective working relationship with the City Council, the School Committee, the state legislative delegation, or the public, I've managed to work with all key stakeholders to get things done for our district. I'm hopeful that in 2022 we'll have a mayor who values collaboration and teamwork. There is so much we can do, and so much more if we truly do it together.

You're running unopposed this year. Does that concern you? What's one way the city could get more citizens involved in local politics?

I'm humbled that District 4 has placed their trust in me for a third term. The most effective councilors are always proactively involving their constituents (both formally and informally) in matters concerning their districts. If we're not constantly working with residents and neighborhoods, we'll miss opportunities and we’ll have far fewer success stories to celebrate together. When a dense multi-unit housing project was announced for Central Street, which would have crammed more than 70 units on a parcel currently holding fewer than 10, we brought neighborhoods together to stand up to the developers and make sure that our voices were heard by the relevant city boards and committees. Together we protected that neighborhood from over-development. When the mayor wanted to sell city-owned land on Old Connecticut Path (with no input from neighbors) to a party who had built on it illegally, we worked with neighbors and the Council to put a stop to the mayor's plan, and crafted a solution to restore the land to its original condition. I'm hopeful for a new mayor who places an emphasis on working with the public rather than governing through decisions made by insiders behind closed doors.

What's your top priority for your next term?

We have an incredible amount of work to do in the years ahead. I'm hopeful that beginning in January, there will be a concerted team effort to truly examine all municipal spending and eliminate financial waste. While the Council has had limited success with this over the last four years, we haven't had the cooperation of the mayor. I'm hopeful that a new mayor will lead a transparent, accessible and responsible budget process that both reflects our values and our realistic financial capacity. The final board of selectmen left us with a massive surplus in the water and sewer enterprise fund. The mayor's actions have transformed that surplus into a catastrophic deficit, further compounded by COVID-19; this will hit the wallets of our residents in a very significant way. As everything seems to be getting more expensive, we must ensure that tax bills focus on essential services and are free of fluff. Now isn’t the time for taxpayers to bankroll networking events for elected officials, for example. Our charter made several recommendations which would help bring further efficiency to our government. I'm hopeful that a new mayor will finally take action on this low-hanging fruit.

Question from resident Bill Sell, "What is the most pressing issue in YOUR district and how will you go about addressing it?"

This is a great question, and I wish the answer were as concise. The reality facing us, however, is that every major issue impacting Framingham touches District 4. From traffic and roadway safety; to caring for our seniors; to supporting our veterans; to education; to housing and development concerns; to open space and sustainability; to matters supporting our small businesses and economic development; to myriad financial issues (including the impact of skyrocketing water bills on our residents). The list is even longer and to continue making progress, we need meaningful collaboration between all stakeholders. I'm selfishly saddened by the impending departure of Rep. Maria Duaime Robinson, as she has been an outstanding partner for me, my District 4 counterpart on the School Committee, Chairman Adam Freudberg, and our entire district. However, while we all work well together and with the public, none of us have had meaningful collaboration from the mayor, which has hampered our efforts and the success of our district. I'm hopeful that beginning in January, we will have that critical missing piece and together we can work to tackle these complicated issues for District 4. We have scratched the surface over the last four years, but our brightest days lie ahead.

More from Framingham Councilors running unopposed in 2021:

• Framingham D1 Councilor Christine Long On 2021 Reelection
• Why I'm Running In 2021: Framingham D8 Councilor John Stefanini