Candidate Profile: Bill Humphrey, Ward 5 Newton City Council

NEWTON, MA — Bill Humphrey is running for reelection against Debra Waller for Ward 5 City Council. There are 12 people vying for the eight Ward Councilor seats on the Newton City Council in the Nov. 2 municipal election, as well as contested races for Councilor-At-Large, mayor, and school committee.

Newton Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles this week.

Humphrey has worked in media for 10 years and has two years of experience on the Newton City Council. He holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware.

Are you running for office in Newton? Contact Annie Sandoli at annie.sandoli@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newton Patch.

Campaign website

https://www.billhumphrey.org/

Age (as of Election Day)

30

Position Sought

Ward 5 Ward Councilor (re-election)

Party Affiliation

Democratic

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

None

Education

University of Delaware B.A.

Occupation

A decade of media work and two years on the City Council

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

currently Ward 5 Ward Councilor

Why are you seeking elective office?

I'm focused on continuing to deliver exceptional constituent services to make people's lives better.

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

The most commonly cited concern from voters is the state of the roads (and sidewalks). I would like the City Council and the Mayor's Administration to work together on exploring how we can combine road safety improvements with our goals of accelerated paving and sidewalk maintenance to advance both simultaneously. For example, restricting unnecessarily wide land widths could make streets safer and allow us to reduce our per-mile paving costs at the same time, which would let us fix more roads and sidewalks each year. I also want us to review the Private Way streets ordinance and make reforms.

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

We do not agree on comprehensive zoning redesign or police reform, both of which I support.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I would have pursued outdoor dining earlier and more extensively like other communities did.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Affordable housing, climate action, senior & disability services, road & sidewalk improvements.

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

I think I've been incredibly responsive and available to constituents during the crisis of this term, and I look forward to continuing to serve. Whether people agree with me or not on every issue, they can't deny I work hard and do my homework!

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Don't speak on every item in committee, so that your views stand out more when you do take the time to speak on an item.

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

I love serving you in this job and I find the work very rewarding, and I hope you will give me your trust for a second term.