Candidate Profile: John Oliver, Ward 1 Newton City Council

NEWTON, MA — John Oliver is running for reelection against Alison Leary and John Oliver and Allan L. Ciccone for Ward 1 Councilor-At-Large. There are 20 people vying for the 16 Councilor-At-Large seats on the Newton City Council in the Nov. 2 municipal election, as well as contested races for Ward Councilor, mayor, and school committee.

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

Oliver has been a marketing consultant for over 25 years. He received his education from Michigan State University.

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

www.johnoliver4newton.org

Age (as of Election Day)

53

Position Sought

Ward 1 City Councilor, at-large

Party Affiliation

D

Family

I am married (my wife's name is Melissa) and we have a sophomore (Griffin) attending Newton North.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Michigan State University

Occupation

I am a marketing consultant with 25+ years of experience.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Currently I am a City Councilor, Ward 1 at-large

Why are you seeking elective office?

I believe that our city council can benefit from the approach and perspective that I bring to the job. Too many residents in Newton are frustrated with the decisions we are making and the direction we are headed in right now - I hope to bring their collective voice to the discussion.

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

If I think about the challenges we are facing that are unique to Newton, then I would say our top priority is to get control over the development going on in our city. Many residents are saying - and I agree - that we are growing very fast, that our city services and infrastructure is not keeping up.

For instance, we have recently approved projects that will bring 2,114 new rental housing units to Newton. Based on the 2020 census data, that is the equivalent of half of a new Ward (or 2 entire voting precincts!). Meanwhile Newton is still catching up from multiple years of neglecting our roads and sidewalks, recreation facilities, open spaces and much, much more.

I am focused on making sure that Newton retains our neighborhood feel, that new projects do not simply change Newton, but that they improve the city and our neighborhoods.

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

I believe that my approach to development, my focus on not just listening to - but acting on -resident input is a distinguishing factor. There are simply too many examples where neighbor's input has been gathered, then seemingly set aside when decisions are made.

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

I believe that Massachusetts and by extension, Newton have done relatively well navigating the pandemic and it's impact on society. There are two areas where I believe Newton did poorly : first, we only opened our schools when it was mandated by the state.

Newton should have been able to prepare our staff, students, and school buildings for a safe return to school MUCH sooner than we did. Many local communities and most private schools were able to open well before Newton did.

Second, we could have done more to help our small businesses 'ride-out' the pandemic. A simple example would have been providing outdoor dining opportunities through temporarily closing some roads and extending hours.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

There are many infrastructure challenges facing Newton; one that I am focused on right now is our athletic fields across Newton. I am happy to say that we are making progress, and I am looking forward to establishing an aggressive plan to improve then maintain all of our fields in Newton.

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

I have spent my professional career helping organizations understand how to solve complex challenges; how to identify and articulate specific problems contributing to the issues. The city council can benefit from my experience as we solve the issues in front of us today.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

People's actions speak louder than their words.

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

I want to know what is on your mind; please get in touch me through my website (my email, phone, office hours are all there)!