Candidate Profile: Julia Malakie, Ward 3 Newton City Council

NEWTON, MA — Julia Malakie is running for reelection against James Cote for Ward 3 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.

Malakie is a photojournalist for the Lowell Sun. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from MIT and a Master's degree from the University of Chicago.

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

juliamalakie.org

Age (as of Election Day)

66

Position Sought

Ward 3 Ward Councilor

Party Affiliation

Unenrolled (independent)

Family

Single

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

BS in Economics, MIT
MBA, University of Chicago

Occupation

Photojournalist, Lowell Sun

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

1st term Ward Councilor; member of Urban Tree Commission

Why are you seeking elective office?

To continue the work I’ve been doing to help residents and businesses solve problems, stay informed and get questions answered, and to represent their interests. To continue my long-time environmental advocacy by mitigating climate change effects through local tree-planting, open space preservation and fixing gas leaks. To work for greater transparency and accountability, easier access to public records and a better City website. As Ward 3 faces continued development pressure and is being targeted for higher density zoning, residents need a representative who will put them first, and be willing to push back on private developers to get the best outcome.

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

The most potentially consequential issue is the proposed Zoning Redesign, which if passed as drafted would lead to greater density and more teardowns. I will only support a plan that discourages teardowns and displacement, and preserves green spaces and trees — not a plan that only benefits developers and makes Newton more expensive. But what really is pressing is not a massive zoning overhaul, but passing targeted zoning changes to reduce teardowns, as well as restoring and protecting our tree canopy to mitigate the effects of extreme weather and climate change. I will push to strengthen our tree ordinances to better protect private tree canopy, and to fund our Urban Forestry Division sufficiently to increase and care for our public trees.

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

My opponent is endorsed by the pro-density, pro-developer groups Engine 6 and Voters for a Vibrant Newton.
I oppose eliminating single-family-only zoning, which would open up the whole city to what we see now in multi-family zones -- developers tearing down a single-family and building two townhouses, each more expensive than the house torn down. My opponent's position is unclear.
My opponent thinks City Council involvement in special permits "creates neighborhood hysteria," and that the City Council should be weaned off most special permits. (per Voters for Vibrant Newton questionnaire) I think City Council review leads to better results, and do not favor turning special permits over to an unelected body appointed by the mayor. We need checks and balances, not more power given to one person.

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

On the City Council, we heard from many, many parents unhappy with the mayor, superintendent and School Committee, from the confusing rollout of remote vs DLA, to the slow implementation of covid testing, and getting kids back to in-person learning, compared to other communities. I was among the 12 councilors who began writing letters in October 2020, asking for the administration listen to medical experts, and for more urgency in getting kids back to school safely.
Once Josh Morse was tasked with upgrading HVAC for better air exchanges per hour, it got done, but this work should have begun in summer of 2020, I would also have put less emphasis on computers, and instead set up schools for outdoor classes until HVAC work was completed, because so many children suffered from lack of interaction with others.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

A major concern of many Ward 3 residents (and citywide), is excessive speeding and unsafe conditions on neighborhood roads. I will continue to urge and support more resources devoted to traffic calming. Another concern is code enforcement, including rodent control. I will work to ensure that the financial and emotional burden of rats displaced by demolitions and excavations for development is not borne by abutters to projects.

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

Before joining the City Council, I spent many years as lead organizer for Newton Tree Conservancy Community Tree Plantings of over 1,000 trees, working with residents from all over Newton. I also raised awareness of gas leaks affecting trees, working with gas leak detector Bob Ackley to test all Conservancy planting spots since 2010, and supporting passage of state legislation for better reporting and faster repair of leaks.
In my first term on City Council, I led the effort to successfully landmark two of West Newton Square's most iconic buildings, the Davis Hotel (Sweet Tomatoes) and Robinson Block (CVS). I also led on increasing the income eligibility limits to participate in the Senior Tax-Workoff Program, that had not changed since 2003, enabling more seniors to get a break on property taxes in exchange for volunteer work.
I've resolved many constituent problems, including getting sewer and water leaks repaired, parking issues addressed, and construction noise violations enforced, and helped people obtain information they were looking for from the city, and reached out to state agencies when necessary, including just this week, helping an overseas voter to vote.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Sunk costs are sunk" -- business school-speak for "don't throw good money after bad."

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

I have no further political ambitions than working for the residents of Ward 3 and Newton. I am independent of any political party.