Medford Election Profile: Michael Marks For City Council

MEDFORD, MA — Medford's municipal election Nov. 5 will send seven people to the City Council out of a pool of 14 candidates. Michael J. Marks, 53, is one of five current city councilors running for re-election.

Marks is a contract manager for the Department of Housing. He lives in Medford with his wife, Lisa, and has three grown children.

Marks has also served on the School Committee and as the Democratic City Committee Ward 7 chair.

Are you running for office in Medford? Contact Alex Newman at alex.newman@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Medford Patch.

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

As a member of the city council I have been an advocate for a complete review of current zoning laws to encourage smart growth concepts and to insure neighborhood protections.

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

I believe any running for public office has the public interest at heart. What may separate me from other candidates is my previous elected experiences and constituent service background.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

My accomplishments around traffic calming initiatives and pedestrian safety such as:
-Proposed and won approval to reduce speed limit city wide to 25mph.
-Sponsored the resolve leading to Medford's first raised crosswalks.
-Supported the hiring of Medford's first Traffic Engineer leading to many new traffic calming improvements.

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

I established Medford's first Dog Park Committee securing a private grant to fund the first public dog park in Medford directly behind the McGlynn School.

I successfully led the charge to take back city ownership of the Hagner Center and established a working group called Arts Collaborative Medford with the intent to create Medford's first center for the arts. Additionally I offered a resolution which created Medford's first budget line item for the arts. I supported Medford's first solar ordinance for new construction and was the author which created Medford's rain barrel program. I am an early and ongoing advocate of public bike paths and walkway improvements.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Remember you work for the people , they do not work for you is the best advice I have ever received.

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

When dealing with issues my first thought is always how will this impact you and your neighborhood and my actions will always support residents and quality of life over anything else.