James T. Cerone is Running for Town Council

Hello, Wakefield!

My name is James T. Cerone. I am a renter, a service worker, and a graduate student just like so many young people trying to get a foothold on the American Dream. I’m also a proud Wakefieldian—and I’m running for Wakefield Town Council in the April 28th town election.

Wakefield deserves a leader whose perspective aligns with residents who, for too long, have gone un-represented in town government. We deserve a leader who understands the struggle to pay rent in a town they love, to dream and grind for a better life, and to be a young person facing the unique challenges of the 2020s. On a seven-person Town Council, at least one councilor should represent those of us who live these realities.

Year after year, we have seen each of those seven Town Council seats filled by the same kind of politician: a well-connected number cruncher at the middle or end point of their lucrative careers. There’s no doubt we need those perspectives too; yet a quarter of Wakefieldians are young people just beginning their life journey, and 30% of us rent our homes. Young individuals, couples, and parents alike feel like they have no future in the town they love. But it’s not just young people who are suffering: our elders are suffering as well. Many are being pushed out of units with skyrocketing rents, and even our “affordable units”, set at 80% of average median income, are not affordable for them. Their children are often unable to afford to live close by.

On top of this, Wakefield is profoundly difficult for small businesses and organizations to survive in. Commercial rents are astronomical and our downtown area bears the physical scars of our lack of foresight. Buildings have been abandoned for decades. Fires and other disasters leave damaged or vacant facades for years. We have no bylaws regarding vacant properties, and we do little to ensure fair behavior from the more predatory landlord barons. While the Albion Street revitalization was a success and Project: Pop-Up is a wonderful opportunity for small businesses, these efforts are just the beginning. We need to look further into the future.

Housing growth, a healthier commercial base, and the ability to implement other taxation tools will bring Wakefield out of the intensifying financial storm of the 2020s. It won’t happen overnight, and it depends upon the dedicated work of everyone in our town government. But Town Council must lead the way, and it must lead the way with determination and strength of vision. That is what I will bring to the table.

This town means a lot to me. I want Wakefield to be a place where people can afford to live, grow their families, find community, and start a small business. Working people don’t just create products and services: they also build strong foundations of community. This is something I know well. I grew up in a big, Italian and Polish family of blue-collar workers, military veterans, and educators—salt-of-the-earth people with rich personalities and a drive to serve others. That experience made me appreciate how important community is. It also makes me appreciate the way our Wakefield community has shown my partner and I incredible support and strength during some of the most personally difficult years of our lives. Nobody should go through tough times alone, and we’ve seen that Wakefieldians understand that deeply. It’s time that I give back to my community.

That is why I aim to fight for housing and affordability, a bright and self-determined future for downtown Wakefield, and to "Break the Cycle" of the status quo in town government. With my values, life experiences, and expertise as a public communication expert, a talented team leader, and a student of public administration, I believe I can be that change.

We need a fair deal for Wakefield, and a new perspective on the Town Council. I hope you will join me in this journey to “Stop the Cycle”, and vote for James T. Cerone on April 28th.