Politics & Government

Candidate Profile: Matthew Desmond

Matthew Desmond, Ward 3 candidate for Somerville Board of Aldermen, responds to three questions.

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 Matthew Desmond:

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?

a. Development and affordable housing are they two most important issues facing Somerville right now. Development in our residential neighborhoods needs to be put in check immediately. Residents need to be able to set parameters for what type of development should be allowed, as well as how much. As an alderman, I would create legislation calling for neighborhood advisory groups to meet under the supervision of Planning Dept. staff to develop preferred development criteria for their neighborhoods that developers would use as guidelines when bidding on property requiring special permits or very large parcels. In the case of city owned property, I would have that same group choose the two best bids for the neighborhood and present those options to the Mayor for final selection. As for affordable housing, I believe Somerville works as hard as any other community when it comes to providing affordable housing. We need to revisit the linkage fees as well as the percentage of affordable units tied to large developments and increase them enough to assist in our constant struggle to provide affordable units but not too much as not to deter developers from building here.

Question:
 Tell us about your background.

b. I am a life-long Somerville resident, having lived in Ward 3 for 28 of my 35 years. Currently, I live on Highland Ave. with my wife, Kristen (Reardon) and our one-year-old son, Thomas. I attended Somerville Public Schools and am a graduate of Somerville High School. I’ve made my living as an IT (Information Technology) professional for the past fifteen years. I believe my experience in this field will help immensely as we work to use technology to improve how we run the everyday business of local government and how well we communicate with the people of Somerville. I’ve also been coaching, mentoring and tutoring kids in the community for over twenty years, as well as volunteering for various non-profit groups.

Question: Why should Somerville residents vote for you?

c. On September 24th, the people of Ward 3 will have four choices on the ballot. The voters should ask themselves the following; Which candidate is willing to do the work necessary to be an effective alderman? I have been working hard my entire adult life to make Somerville a better place to live. I’m not just starting now so I can be an Alderman. Improving our community is a lifelong commitment I was raised on. Do the philosophies and opinions of the candidate match up with the voters of the ward? I’ve made my opinions and philosophies very clear to people while campaigning over the summer and I will continue to do so. People will know where I stand on all the issues. Does the candidate have the courage of their convictions, and will they put the people of the ward ahead of their personal agenda, or ahead of a developer’s agenda? I will answer to the people of Ward 3, and only to the people of Ward 3. That being said, I believe I am the best choice because I have the energy to work harder than anyone else; because I will answer to the neighbors above all others; and because I will work as unselfishly as anyone possibly can, just like I’ve been doing in this community for the last twenty years.


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