Carlos Vidal Announces Candidacy for City Councilor

The following letter was submitted by Carlos Vidal:

I’m excited to officially announce my candidacy for Waltham City Councilor at Large.

As some of you may know, this will be my second bid for this position. In 2013, I came up just 162 votes short of being elected. While that was admittedly a bitter pill to swallow, my unsuccessful campaign taught me so much about our community and only sharpened my desire to help lead it toward a better future for all.

During that campaign, I met many neighbors who believe in new ways of thinking and have different visions for our city’s future. I share their passion for innovation and look forward to the hard work needed to create the future we all want.

It is an exciting time in Waltham and we’re making some serious strides forward. But there’s still a lot to do and still too many voices that are not being heard.

Just as when I first campaigned in 2013, our city still needs to improve communications. The city has taken some first steps in this area but we need to pick up the pace. Improved communications – access to timely information and open conversations – are fundamental to the health and growth of our community.

I believe very strongly that Waltham needs to do a better job of building a more inclusive community. We need to encourage ALL of our residents to get involved and join the decision-making process. We need leaders who can effectively reach out to those who are not being heard today.

For years now, residents have longed for a greater mix of businesses in our commercial areas across the city. But what is Waltham doing to promote Waltham? I feel it is time for the city to employ an economic development officer whose job will be to attract new and diverse businesses and help established businesses to grow.

Still don’t know what 3-1-1 is? It is a simple call-in and online service used by cities such as Cambridge, Somerville and Springfield. This system ensures residents the quick answers they deserve and provides data that will allow our city to better plan future budget priorities. It’s an investment in our future that Waltham should make.
Street maintenance! It’s great that many of our main roads have been recently improved. However, we also need to work on our smaller neighborhood streets. Our streets are torn up and patched so often that many have gone from a nuisance to a hazard. We need a comprehensive road maintenance schedule that addresses our smaller residential streets too.

I’m looking forward to a spirited campaign! I can’t wait to knock on doors and meet more of my neighbors and discuss our ideas and hopes for Waltham’s future.

Any candidates can submit letters and press releases to charlene.arsenault@patch.com.