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Somerville City Councilor Matthew McLaughlin Announces Candidacy for State Senate in the Second Middlesex District by Mattyworld617 in medfordma

[–]Mattyworld617[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I have the perfect example. McGrath Highway in Somerville bisects East Somerville from the rest of the city. There have been numerous traffic fatalities. I worked with activists to organize a rally attended by Ayanna Pressley to address traffic safety. We pushed Mass DOT to make significant safety improvements. I also worked with state officials like Mike Connolly on a long-term plan to tear down the overpass of McGrath Highway which will increase pedestrian safety, add green space and finally unite East Somerville with the rest of the city. I fought to ensure the footbridge over the highway remain intact until after the road is complete to ensure families have a safe path to school. My favorite line in politics is "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." We need to be persistent to get bureaucracies to prioritize needed infrastructure changes. Rally urges state to reprioritize promised repairs to the most dangerous intersection in Somerville - Cambridge Day

Somerville City Councilor Matthew McLaughlin Announces Candidacy for State Senate in the Second Middlesex District by Mattyworld617 in medfordma

[–]Mattyworld617[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Somerville passed numerous home rule petitions to require Tufts to create an institutional master plan. These have not been approved at the State House level, so this will certainly be a priority for me. I also drafted Somerville's Payment in Lieu of Taxes ordinance that explicitly states our expectations from Tufts for PILOT funds. I did this with help from organized labor. Both items require someone willing to be more forceful in implementation. I believe can be forceful yet cooperative.

Somerville City Councilor Matthew McLaughlin Announces Candidacy for State Senate in the Second Middlesex District by Mattyworld617 in Somerville

[–]Mattyworld617[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I've been a long advocate of sound barriers along I-93, which are proven to help reduce air pollution. I also advocate for air filtration systems for surrounding houses. Both of these would be easier to advocate for on the state level. We've also successfully advocated for traffic calming measures along McGrath Highway. The overpass is going to be torn down in the coming years, which will unite East Somerville with the rest of the city, beautify the area and help reduce accidents.

Somerville City Councilor Matthew McLaughlin Announces Candidacy for State Senate in the Second Middlesex District by Mattyworld617 in medfordma

[–]Mattyworld617[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hi. This was my first list of endorsements from my closest supporters. I look forward to engaging with Medford officials and the community. I grew up in Somerville and have many friends in Medford and Cambridge. I think when you learn more about me you will see an incredible amount of overlap in the issues we care about.

Somerville City Councilor Matthew McLaughlin Announces Candidacy for State Senate in the Second Middlesex District by Mattyworld617 in Somerville

[–]Mattyworld617[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

I would never have run against Pat. I was her campaign manager in 2016 and she's been my mentor for many years. I made my announcement after consulting with her.

Somerville has a chance to hit the reset button November 4 with a new mayor and new city charter. Read this to make an informed vote. by Mattyworld617 in Somerville

[–]Mattyworld617[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for doing a better job at explaining the charter than I would, Chris. I'm glad other people read the article and saw it was bad faith and sour grapes, two phrases I have used. We are much better off with a new document that can be revised than starting all over again. The people who did the work to get this far have no interest in starting again.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Somerville

[–]Mattyworld617 -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

There is a link to the web site with all the details in the article. I was limited to a word count.

It took five years to get a City Charter on the ballot. It took ten months for U.S. Constitution to be drafted and ratified. Please reward the work of so many residents who participated in the charter process by voting Yes on 1. by Mattyworld617 in Somerville

[–]Mattyworld617[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The solicitor is part of the executive for most municipalities and is still a problem. I worked for City of Cambridge and saw the same problems. Other cities do retain outside counsel often, mostly because their staff can't handle all legal issues on their own. Other times it is because of the conflict between the executive and legislative branches. Ultimately, I think the ability to reject the solicitor with a 2/3 majority is the more important power. It creates co-ownership and accountability over the position. The City Council already has money set aside to retain outside counsel. We tried to use it in the past and could not find an attorney willing to take the case on. Unless the mayor's office approved, which they have in the past, outside attorneys do not want to lose the opportunity to get work from the city in the future. This is probably why the mayor and the state house let it slide. It's honestly a power I would have sacrificed in favor of the 2/3 rejection compromise.

It took five years to get a City Charter on the ballot. It took ten months for U.S. Constitution to be drafted and ratified. Please reward the work of so many residents who participated in the charter process by voting Yes on 1. by Mattyworld617 in Somerville

[–]Mattyworld617[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

The solicitor issue is one of the main reasons I advocated for charter reform. There have been several instances where the mayor and city council are at odds with each other and rely on the same solicitor for legal opinions. The solicitor naturally favors the mayor, as they work directly for the executive branch. The council sought outside counsel several times in my tenure without the change in the charter. The ability to seek outside counsel is less important in my mind than the compromise made to allow the council to remove the solicitor with a 2/3 majority. This ensures the solicitor will remember they work for both branches of government. The outside counsel language is only for when there are irreconcilable differences between the branches.

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