Leila Migliorelli for City Councilor-At-Large

I heartily endorse and urge you to vote for Leila Migliorelli, candidate for City Councilor at-large. My husband I moved to Melrose four years ago from Danvers. We are empty nesters and were downsizing from a large house, big enough for our four kids. We chose Melrose because of its beautiful tree-lined neighborhoods, charming downtown, and attractive architecture. Equally important, we loved the strong sense of community. Even though we don't have school-aged children, we enthusiastically voted for the override because we believe that strong schools (and, for my husband, in particular, strong libraries) are measures of a strong community. We want to live in a city with these qualities, plus accessible outdoor space, strong city leadership, fiscal management, and good services.

I have worked with Leila Migliorelli at Tufts University for the past six years. I can attest to the fact that Leila is always responsible, smart, ethical, asks the hard questions, effective, always responsive, and has progressive values. Her job is to ensure that donors' charitable gifts to Tufts are spent as they intend, so she is a fierce steward of our donors -- a somewhat similar role as Melrose City Councilor. You may think I am biased because I know her through my job. True, but I would assert that the person you know at work is the real person, the person as she actually behaves, not as she claims she wants to behave. I have six years of proof that Leila is the kind of person we want in a leadership role in Melrose. And I know that she eagerly wants to serve in this civic role and will devote herself to doing the best possible job for the city and for her constituents.

Margot Biggin

Hillside Avenue

Melrose