Melrose Mayoral Forum: What We Learned About Candidates

MELROSE, MA — The city’s four Democratic candidates for mayor made their opening pitch to voters during a forum Wednesday night hosted by the Democratic City Committee. Aldermen-at-large Manisha Bewtra and Mike Zwirko, Director of Community Services and City Operations Jackie Lavender Bird and State Rep. Paul Brodeur sat in front of some 100 attendees at the Melrose Unitarian Universalist Church, answering a dozen questions about the present and future of Melrose.

Monica Medeiros, an alderman-at-large and the only Republican in the race, declined to attend, citing the committee's "history of campaigning against" her.

The forum was the first and only scheduled opportunity for mayoral candidates to set themselves apart in such a manner through the preliminary election Sept. 17. The first open seat mayoral election for Melrose in 18 years will Nov. 5.

The four candidates who attended engaged in some friendly banter in an overall light atmosphere, but got serious when it came time for questions. The questions, which came from committee members and the public, ranged from addressing traffic (Brodeur had to take off his coat before tackling that one.) to what needs fixing at City Hall ("I won't listen!" Mayor Gail Infurna shouted to the candidates from the audience.) to affordable housing, overcrowded schools, crumbling public safety infrastructure, and more.

All four candidates leaned on their varying skills and experience: Brodeur a longtime alderman who served in multiple roles and currently in the state legislature; Zwirko touting his pragmatism and track record of working collaboratively to get things done; Bird with her lengthy service record in Melrose and knowledge as a member of the current administration; and Bewtra with her time as a city planner, affordable housing expertise and, well, being herself.

"I know I represent change in some ways just by who I am," Bewtra, an Indian-American and the first woman of color to be elected in Melrose, said. "People come to me with things that they've never come to an alderman or city official. I think being able to bring those things to City hall will make City Hall open to all."

Bewtra also earned the crowd's largest pop of the night in answering the toughest question: What is your stance on Melrose being a sanctuary city?

"What do we really mean when we say that we're one community open to all?" Bewtra asked in response. She elicited prolonged applause by ending, "Having a policy like this is so important for the residents who feel insecure as a result of the vitriol coming out of the White House."

The other candidates all agreed on working to make immigrants feel safe and welcome in Melrose, but all were either opposed or noncommittal to sanctuary city. It was something several attendees Patch spoke with noted as a takeaway after the event.

LISTEN: All candidates' full answers on the sanctuary city question.

Editor's note: This is one reporter's take on the night and not meant to capture every response to every question. The forum was at least partially filmed by MMTV. Each candidate said they want to speak with voters and I'm posting their websites below. Thanks for reading — now go educate yourself!

Other notes from the forum:

What is your long-term solution to overcrowding in the schools?

How could City Hall be more transparent?

Bird brought up how the city's override campaign helped inform a lot of people on multiple fronts: "It played a huge role in helping people understand what our financial picture looked like, what was at stake, and helped them make an informed decision." Brodeur said the city needs to be progressive about the budget being accessible and outward-facing to the public. Zwirko wanted to see Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals meetings televised. Bewtra said Town Hall-type forums for the budget could help, while noting that transparency isn't confined just to the budget.

How would you address traffic issues and make streets safer?

Brodeur said Melrose needs to bring data and expertise to the specifics of the issue, and touted his relationships with state organizations such as the DCR which could help. Zwirko noted how more cars are getting on the road, and looked to future modes of transportation: "We need to look at the whole picture and not just cars." Bewtra said walking, biking and accessibility need to be prioritized to help get cars off the road. She said Lime bikes are an asset, but they need to managed better in the city. Bird keyed in on traffic enforcement and redesigning flawed roads, as well as pushing through the Complete Streets list.

What could work better at City Hall?

Bird and Zwirko both leaned heavily on the idea of economic development and the need of a person of people to fill that role. Brodeur said residents needed a way to better have their voice heard, while Bewtra talked about communications and systems.

Melrose mayoral candidate websites

• Manisha Bewtra
• Jackie Lavender Bird
• Paul Brodeur
• Monica Medeiros
• Mike Zwirko