Why I will vote for Monica Medeiros in September

When I read what the various candidates for office have to say about what is important to them and the city, it looks like the table of contents of the city’s 2017 master plan with a few additional hot button topics added and one major topic largely missing.

• Historic and cultural resources

•Open space and recreation

• Housing

• Economic development

• Infrastructure and facilities

• Transportation and circulation

• Energy and sustainability

• Land use and zoning

Notably, addressed only superficially in the master plan but on the minds of all the candidates are schools and education. I find it curious that these were not a separate topic in the master plan on a par with, say, economic development or housing. Perhaps their lack of recognition in the master plan helps to explain why the recent “need” for a property tax override came upon the voters so suddenly and in an atmosphere of such desperation and fear mongering.

Also on the minds of all the candidates but not addressed in the master plan are a host of topics related to strong city management:

• Transparency

• Accountability

• Fiscal responsibility

• Communication

• Inclusion

Of all the candidates (mayor, alderman, school committee) only one, Monica Medeiros, has consistently advocated for transparency and accountability. To the others, these seem like novel ideas.

In June of 2017, after nearly two years of work, the city published Melrose Forward: A Community Vision and Master Plan. (I recommend that all residents read it.) The plan included a vision for the city’s future along with a number of goals, strategies, and actions to be undertaken to implement the plan. Specific activities were assigned to one or more city department, board, commission, committee, or private organization. Each activity included a recommended timeframe for completion. Although lacking any sort of financial planning information, the plan was a solid basis for addressing many of the city’s existing and future challenges and issues.

As noted in the very first sentence of the Implementation Plan section of the document, “Implementation is key to any successful planning process, and it is the phase in which the recommendations laid out in a plan become a reality.” It also states that the Mayor would appoint an Implementation Committee to “bolster” the implementation process, and that this group would have annual check-ins and produce progress reports to show the status of the plan’s implementation, and help to communicate this information to the city’s residents. Unfortunately, the Implementation Committee was never appointed and no check-ins or progress reports have ever been prepared.

It is interesting that many current city officials, elected and otherwise, and many current candidates for office, were directly involved in preparing the master plan, yet it seems that none have advocated for its implementation, and no candidate in the upcoming elections has specifically mentioned the master plan in their campaign talking points. Only one candidate, Monica Medeiros, has discussed financial planning as an important activity for the city to undertake immediately. Financial planning is a logical extension to the master plan, particularly in light of the numerous significant capital projects outlined in the plan.

We have five candidates for Melrose’s next mayor. Four of them supported an override campaign built on a lack of transparency, the provision of misleading and incomplete information, constant fear mongering, and divisiveness. Only one mayoral candidate, Monica Medeiros, had the courage to oppose the override based on the provision of misleading and incomplete information.

I believe it important that we come out of the September 17th mayoral primary vote with two candidates on the November ballot who will offer differing views and policies on issues important to the city’s future. This should also lead to more transparency with respect to holding the school department accountable for effectively using their newly enhanced budget, as well as the planning and financing of significant projects needed in the city (for example, a new police station, improvements at the library, as well as repair and rehabilitation of fire station(s), school buildings, and the water/sewer infrastructure).

I will be voting for Monica Medeiros in the September election because she offers a different voice and different points of view.

As for the many other positions to be decided in November, I will wait to see if any of the candidates separate themselves from the pack.