I am Cory Thomas and I am Running for Ward 7 City Council

My name is Cory Thomas and I am honored to be announcing my candidacy for Ward 7 Alderman/City Councilor in the city of Melrose, a community that has given me so much over the years.

I was raised in Melrose, growing up in Ward 7, as was my wife Michelle. After my wife & I got married, we looked in many communities north of Boston to live in. We chose Melrose for many of the same reasons as most of you chose to live in Melrose – a suburban community with close proximity to Boston, accessible public transportation, and a good school system for our children. Michelle & I are proud to be raising our two sons, Sean and Michael in the city in which we were raised, both of whom attended the Hoover Elementary School, the Melrose Memorial Middle School, and one is a current freshman at Melrose High School.

I am invested in this city and the future of our school system and decisions being made to make the future better for all of our citizens. Like so many of you, we know the challenges of juggling work, family time, multiple children in school, extracurricular activities, and figuring out how to schedule it all, and yes, how to afford it all.

I am proud to be from Melrose and a product of the Melrose Public School system (MHS Class of ’91). I value the relationships I have made in this city, whether you are a lifelong friend from elementary school, or a new acquaintance coaching Little League baseball for the first time. My experiences in and out of Melrose have prepared me for this next step; serving my fellow Melrosians, and my fellow Ward 7 neighbors.

Professionally, I have worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for almost 20 years, first with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, then at the Sex Offender Registry Board in Salem. I am currently a property manager for the Executive Office of Health & Human Services, and have been with this office for nine years. I also held a residential real estate sales license for nearly 15 years, working with Century 21 Sexton & Donohue.

I have made it a point to immerse myself in my community and make it a point to know my fellow neighbors on a first name basis. I feel my professional experience and my years of volunteering in Melrose, within the school system at The Bridge, as a member of the Hoover School Site Council, and my many years as a coach and administrator in Melrose youth sports, all give me a unique and qualified perspective on issues important to citizens of Melrose.

As your Ward 7 representative, I will be an available Councilor that will meet and talk to constituents, giving them a strong voice in the most pressing matters facing us today.

I am against the proposed 40B project on Swain’s Pond and will work with the Mayor and the City Council to fight the further development of the project. I know many families in and around this proposed development site and I know they, along with most families in Ward 7 will be negatively affected if this project comes to fruition.

While I am not in favor of opening of legalized marijuana (Pot) shops on Main Street, I think we should continue to research and explore other locations as options at some point to see if they could be used as an added revenue stream.

Like many, I am concerned & frustrated with the current parking situation in downtown Melrose, and unavailability of local patrons of small businesses to be able to visit and “shop local”. I will work with the Mayor & City Council to find ways to enhance public parking.

One of the most important things to me is playing a strong role in bringing businesses to Melrose that can thrive and continue to enrich our community & Main Street.

I look forward to taking part in the continuation of moving our schools forward, and enhancing and assisting our Police & Fire with the infrastructure they need.

I thank you in advance for your support in my candidacy in Ward 7 City Council and look forward to being able to represent my fellow neighbors.

Cory Thomas for Melrose Ward 7