The November 7 Framingham election features only one contested City Council race without an incumbent: ours! That follows Councilor Cesar Stewart-Morales’s decision not to seek re-election. Two candidates are on next month’s District 2 ballot: Brandon Ward and Sean Silk.
Interestingly (at least to me): Although city elections are “non-partisan”, this is the second straight cycle where the District 2 City Council race features one Democrat and one Republican on the ballot.
You can read the District2Framingham.com Q&A with the candidates here:
Brandon Ward (the registered Democrat)
Sean Silk (the registered Republican)
Brandon Ward
Ward says he would bring “a strong history of public service and community leadership” to the City Council role, including serving as a member of the Keefe Tech School Committee, president of Friends of Saxonville, board member of Downtown Framingham Inc., and Executive Director of Leadership MetroWest.
His top 3 issues: “1) supporting educational opportunities and career training through Framingham Public Schools, Keefe Tech, and job training programs; 2) investing in quality of life improvements, including adding amenities to the Cochituate Rail Trail, rebuilding the Carol Getchell Nature Trail, and advocating for recreational upgrades to Winch Park, Danforth Park, and Reardon Park; and 3) leading Saxonville’s revitalization efforts and advocating for smart development of underutilized commercial properties, such as the old State Lumber property, as well as increasing affordable housing options and expanding access to public transportation.”
He has been endorsed by the Framingham Democratic Committee and Progressive Framingham/MetroWest. “My personal values and life experiences have led me to identify as a Democrat, as well as to seek these endorsements,” he wrote in response to a question about how party affiliation might influence his work on the Council. Ward is also backed by current Councilor Stewart-Morales. Read the Q&A with Brandon Ward.
Sean Silk
Silk says his experience “as a parent, a small business owner, a taxpayer and a resident, like you, has helped me identify areas where Framingham can improve.” His said one of his key issues is strategic planning and zoning “because they encompass all the other issues that Framingham will face in the future and provide a clear statement to residents and business owners about the community we want. City government is mostly constrained by political will and money. As someone who has built a small business with my wife, I understand difficult decisions when there are many needs but limited resources.”
“It is also important to review spending to measure how well the city is reaching its goals,” he said. “The city has taken a view of setting a percentage increase for the budget (from 1% to a full 2.5%). I would like to see spending decision made based on the effectiveness of programs instead.”
“I realize budgets are wish lists that taxpayers are forced to fund,” he wrote. “You are not paying for actual bills. You are paying for bills that the city thinks it will have. The government departments will always ask for more, and will spend every dollar so next year the funding level isn’t lower.”
In response to the question about his party affiliation, Silk said he doesn’t care about people’s political parties, but “how they conduct themselves, how they treat others.” Read the Q&A with Sean Silk.
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