Candidate Profile: Bob McWatters

For Somerville Patch's 2013 election guide, we asked all candidates running for office in Somerville the same three questions, and we posted their answers without editing them. Here are the responses from Bob McWatters: 

Question: What are the two most important issues facing Somerville right now, and what would you do on the Board of Aldermen to address those issues?

• Public Safety is always and important issue and because of the recent arson fires in the city, I believe that it is the most important issue facing our city at the present time.  I would work with our public safety officials by supporting their efforts to apprehend the perpetrator(s) of these fires and would hold neighborhood meetings so that residents may hear directly from our public safety officials about this matter.

• Next on the list, I believe, is to secure some much needed tax relief for the city’s property owners.  I would work with the various departments in the city, and with the administration, to continue to grow the commercial tax base through smart development.  Additionally, I would work to control spending wherever possible to lighten the burden on our taxpayers and to ensure that the city’s fiscal health is never jeopardized.

Question: Tell us about your background.

• I was born and raised in Somerville, living most of my life in Ward 3.  I have a great love for the city and our neighborhoods and I have served on the Advisory Panel for the Little Sisters of the Poor for the past 12 years.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Northeastern University.  For the past 28 years, I have been a Probation Officer with the Massachusetts Trial Courts, working closely with various Police and Justice Departments.  For the past 18 years, I have also served as the Clerk of Committees to the Somerville Board of Aldermen, under 3 City Administrations.  That position afforded me a unique perspective from which to observe the workings of our local government.  Being present for countless discussions, presentations, debates and 18 years of the city’s fiscal budget hearings has prepared me to represent the residents of Ward 3.

Question: Why should Somerville residents vote for you?

• I believe that my nearly 30 years of public service, including my time as the Clerk of Committees to the Somerville Board of Aldermen, has provided me with the skills to represent the people of Ward 3 and to act in their best interest.  I believe that every resident has a voice in how government should operate and I will work to ensure that all sides of an issue are heard and evaluated, to achieve the best result possible for the Ward and the City of Somerville.  I will be accessible to the residents and I will strive to keep Somerville moving forward and act in a manner that is fiscally conservative to protect the taxpayers.