Somerville Election Profile: Mayor Joseph Curtatone

SOMERVILLE, MA — Joseph Curtatone is running for his ninth term as mayor of Somerville in the municipal election Nov. 5. He faces a challenger in Marianne Walles.

Curtatone, 53, was elected mayor in 2003 after eight years as an alderman. He and his wife, Nancy, have four sons, and his sister, Maria, is the Middlesex County Register of Deeds.

Curtatone has a mid-career master's degree in public administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, a juris doctor from the New England School of Law and a bachelor's degree from Boston College. He is a graduate of Somerville High School.

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

Along with Climate Change, which is the entire planet’s most pressing issue, the most pressing regional and local issue is housing affordability. Somerville, like the entire Greater Boston region, finds itself caught in a housing crisis. The region has failed to keep up with population growth, up roughly one million people over the past four decades. Add in that Somerville has become one of the most progressive, active and desirable places to live, and it has put enormous pressure on housing costs. The fabric and soul of our community is at stake. That’s why we have pursued an aggressive affordable housing agenda with a city Office of Housing Stability, increased linkage fees on commercial development, a revised condo conversion ordinance, short-term rental regulations and a transfer fee on real estate speculation (pending state approval) that would fund affordable housing efforts. On top of that I led a coalition of 15 area cities and towns committing to build 185,000 new housing units by 2030. But we must do more. We must take a serious look at an updated version of rent control that we develop as a community to help more people stay in their homes while respecting the investments of small property owners. The zoning reform I have fought for the last 5+ years also can be a powerful tool for increasing affordable housing, family housing, artist housing, and more. And we must be creative. That’s why I support affordable housing overlay districts in our former industrial areas and why we’re looking for ways to buy up existing housing housing stock in our established neighborhoods to designate those for permanent affordability. In short, we must do everything we can to ensure that everyone has an authentic opportunity and ability to live here, and I’m all in.

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

Commitment and proven results. We have the top urban schools in MA, the GLX and new high school under construction, 98% of residents living near public parks, thriving city squares, a local Green New Deal underway, vastly reduced crime, a deeply supported and vibrant arts community, and the most aggressive housing agenda in the region. I’ve also stood up to fight federal efforts to target our immigrant population. We’ve been cited as the best run city government and as a model for other cities nationwide. During my administration, we’ve put our values in action and delivered tangible results. But key to who I am as a Mayor is that I know our work is not done. We face numerous challenges, and not a day goes by that I’m not working with the community to identify and address them the Somerville way -- collaboratively, creatively, and with full determination.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

My opponent has issued contradictory statements on transportation and climate action issues, claiming support for public transit but opposing the construction plan that made the Green Line extension a reality and standing in opposition to roadway changes that favor transit and cyclists while reducing parking. With a pressing climate crisis, we simply cannot afford that kind of timidity and lack of commitment on these issues. Also, I’m dismayed that my opponent has chosen to remain silent on the immigration issues facing such a large portion of our city’s residents. The federal government has (unsuccessfully) attempted to de-fund us due to our sanctuary city status.We joined the legal battle to stave off the federal efforts, countering the hate and lies with compassion and facts. Meanwhile the state is considering the Safe Communities Act, which would enshrine vital protections for our immigrant residents. I’ve been an outspoken proponent to secure those protections for our local residents and for moving our state in a more progressive direction. We need leadership on these issues, not silence.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

As mentioned above, housing affordability is the leading issue. Yet climate action and education are also major areas of focus. Somerville has a detailed, Climate Forward plan (https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/programs/somerville-climate-forward) created with broad community input that serves as our Green New Deal. We are setting a standard in terms of taking climate action, with the Green Line extension as a major component of that work. We are currently negotiating for more clean energy in our city, fostering a growing local cleantech sector with partners like Greentown Labs and expanding green spaces into former industrial areas like Brickbottom, Boynton Yards and Assembly Square. On the education side, we are building on our status as the top performing urban school district in the state with better early childhood services, stronger social supports for our students and a focus on helping our students achieve success after they graduate. With a majority minority and majority low-income school district, supporting our schools is essential in making Somerville a city that works for everyone..

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

Somerville has become recognized as the most progressive city in Massachusetts. We put our values into action and demonstrated they work. We have become a model for civic engagement, effective management, and for addressing the systemic causes of societal problems. During my time as mayor, we’ve come together as a community to develop a plan for who we want to be as a City and how we will get there. Every day, I work toward those shared goals on diverse neighborhoods, strong local businesses and new green spaces. The job of mayor now entails managing a $250 million budget so that we can deliver quality core services while also tackling complex issues from housing affordability to transportation to the opioid crisis. It is a job that comes with massive responsibility. After I became mayor, I went back to get a degree in public administration to make sure I could deliver on the trust the people of Somerville had placed in me. I also began instituting extensive efforts to foster community engagement. I did not take my preparedness for granted, nor did I assume I alone had the answers. This is a high stakes, demanding job. It asks everything of you. I’ve demonstrated I’m willing to give that, I‘ve shown that I can turn our goals into results, I’ve proven that I am willing to go above and beyond to be the best mayor I can be for the people of Somerville.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

The work we do is the product of many hands. Assembly Square, the Green Line extension, our Climate Forward plan, the dramatic improvement in our schools, our affordable housing agenda - all of that is the result of people coming together to strive for progress. No one has all the ideas and no one person can pass the laws and implement the programs that deliver progress. As a mayor, I work with everybody in this city - every elected official, everyone who works in the city, everyone who lives in the city. I like to brag that Somerville does more in a year than most places do in a decade. It’s true, but the reason why is because we have so many people coming together to make those things happen.

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

Following from the previous answer, I’d like people to know about the amount of work that goes into making Somerville such a fantastic city. The dedication of our citizenry, staff and elected officials deserves special attention. I attempt to make my positions on important issues loud and clear so that the people of this city know the values that drive us at City Hall. Yet what gets overlooked is the work that goes into every facet of this city that touches your life. Think about the most important thing in Somerville to you. Behind that is an array of people working on it and advocating on that subject. A city is a shared endeavor where people come together to take care of necessary things so that we can all have the best possible quality of life. We’ve done that in Somerville and that’s due to the efforts of more people than I could ever hope to thank.