Samantha Perlman, Marlborough's Newest Councilor, Seeks New Term

MARLBOROUGH, MA — At-Large Councilor Samantha Perlman made a splash when she won her seat in 2019.

She earned the second-highest number of votes (3,332) in the city behind only Mayor Arthur Vigeant in what was then her first race. She was also 24 at the time, making her the youngest woman ever elected to office in Marlborough. And she unseated two-term incumbent Peter Juaire.

She did it, basically, by talking to people. Perlman was also a graduate of the Emerge Massachusetts program, which helps progressive women run for office (Boston's likely next mayor, Michelle Wu, is also a graduate).

Perlman has a bit of an easier time this year. Only incumbents are running for reelection in the At-Large City Council race, so Perlman will take a second term after Nov. 2. But that doesn't mean she's slacking off.

Here's what she had to say about her choice to run again, and what she's planning to do with a second term:

Why did you decide to run for another term in 2021?

It is a tremendous honor to serve as your City Councilor At-Large. I am running for re-election because our city is strongest when we have a wide range of voices leading it. As the youngest woman to serve on the Council and having grown up in Marlborough, I add an important perspective to the Council and have brought a new wave of resident engagement to local government. During this pandemic, we saw the value of having proactive, responsive, and empathetic leaders at the local level. When the pandemic hit, I saw my primary role as a new Councilor to assist residents by delivering food through the senior aid program, helping with unemployment applications, securing food for our Community Cupboard, offering online public health events to inform residents, and promoting testing and vaccines. I used social media to keep residents informed and consistently shared information about every full Council meeting, including details about the topics and votes. I take my position as your Councilor At-Large very seriously. Despite being unopposed for re-election, I have continued to knock on residents’ doors in every ward to listen to your concerns and earn your continued support. I work for you, the residents, and to best represent you, I keep in regular touch with the community. I ask for your vote on Tuesday, Nov. 2, or invite you to take advantage of the new early voting opportunities in our city.

You're running unopposed this year. Does that concern you, and what's one way the city might be able to get more citizens involved in local politics?

When I first ran for office two years ago, I was a first-time candidate eager to help residents, strengthen our community, and add a perspective missing from local government. Our community directly benefits when our elected government reflects our concerns. These elected seats belong to you - the residents - and every two years, the community has the opportunity to pick who we want to represent us. There are no formal qualifications or a perfect time to run for office so if anyone is interested in serving our city, I urge you to take that next step. Public service is an incredibly fulfilling way to spend your time and I would love to see more residents running for office.

It is very important that we have more involvement in local politics and government. As a nonprofit civic engagement professional, I have seen how a healthy democracy necessitates strong civic participation, public accountability, resident curiosity, and innovative ideas. Taking that civic participation to the next level can range from running for office yourself, joining a board or commission to learn how to create local impact to actions such as contacting your Councilors, and of course, voting in local elections. During my next term, I will encourage the development of a local guide to inform people about how to run for office and to continue to communicate about government volunteer opportunities.

What's your top priority for the next term?

Like every community, COVID-19 amplified many issues that directly impact our residents. Moving forward, we must ensure a strong recovery from this pandemic — modeling and promoting clear public health guidance, ensuring continued vaccine and testing access and supporting our families, schools, and small businesses in these rapidly changing circumstances.

With Marlborough’s tremendous growth, increasing population and businesses, a west-end fire station is a top priority. Strong public infrastructure and services are essential to the daily lives of our residents and workers. It is a disservice to our city to keep promoting new development without also considering the strain this has on our population and our ability to provide municipal services. As a city, Marlborough must approach such growth proactively through macro-level city planning and an appreciation for our diverse population. We are fortunate to have new city projects in the pipeline and to be a desirable community for business. Balancing this growth with a high quality of life for residents, such as our seniors and veterans, are key for a successful city.

As we continue to increase our housing stock and commercial tax base, we must do it with an environmentally conscious and long-term impact approach that incorporates best practices for reducing our carbon footprint. Especially during the pandemic, we have increasingly noticed how important access to recreational and conservation land is for residents’ physical wellbeing and mental health. Continuing to maintain, improve, and grow our conservation land and other open spaces, as we did with the recent expansion of Callahan State Park, are key.

Further, I will continue to be a proactive Councilor, with an eye toward innovation. This past term, I promoted new ideas in our city such as adding public art, demystifying our board and commission process, and working to reactivate our Youth Commission. Additionally, I would like to work on continued remote access to public meetings and the revitalization of our downtown. Most importantly, I welcome any resident to contact me with their ideas for how to strengthen Marlborough, so do not hesitate to contact me at samantha@samanthaperlman.org.

More coverage of Marlborough's 2021 election:

• Marlborough Councilor Mark Oram On 2021 Reelection Bid
• Teona Brown Challenging Marlborough Councilor Tunnera In 2021
• Marlborough Councilor Christian Dumais On Forthcoming 3rd Term
• Why Michael Ossing Is Running For New Marlborough Council Term
• Marlborough Councilor Tunnera On Why He Wants 6th Term
• Marlborough Mayor Candidate David Garcaeu On Second Bid For Seat
• Marlborough Councilor Kathleen Robey On 2021 Run For 6th Term
• Why Marlborough Mayor Vigeant Is Seeking 6th Term: Questionnaire
• Marlborough 2021 Election: Why Laura Wagner Is Running Again