Friend:

Back in 2022 I adopted a policy of not endorsing in local races below the state-wide level. My thinking was that I was going to need to work regularly with whoever got elected, so I risked endangering a future working relationship if I endorsed that person's opponent during their election.

I'm making an exception to that non-endorsement policy to endorse Rand Wilson, who is running for the Democratic State Committee. I urge you to vote for Rand in the primary contest -- either by mail (request your mail-in ballot by Tuesday, February 27, at 5 PM!) or in early voting at City Hall (93 Highland Ave) through Friday, March 1 at 12:30 PM or on Super Tuesday (March 5), at your local polling place

First things first: Rand and I are not related, but we do share a lot of progressive values around prioritizing people over profits. He's a union organizer and labor educator who has done some incredibly great things here locally, particularly around bringing together progressive coalitions in Somerville. He's an energetic force for good and I believe he's exactly what the Democratic Party needs to rediscover its roots in representing people and not the investor class, corporations, and special interests. Rand recently made his case for election to the DSC in an op-ed to The Tufts Daily, and it's a compelling one.

Rand has fought for the people -- and specifically working class people -- for decades. He is running a positive, issues-focused race, and I believe he'd be a great representative on the DSC. Thanks for considering him for your vote!

And now, here are some other key things happening in Somerville:

My FY25 budget priorities

Somerville City Hall broken clock tower

For the third-straight year, the Mayor has requested budget priorities from individual city councilors as she and her team go about the task of putting together a proposed budget. Our charter doesn't require the executive to collaborate with the legislative body, so this is great that the Mayor has taken it upon herself to seek this input. I've seen individual budget priorities of mine like funding for out-of-school time from the General Fund and another planner for Planning, Preservation and Zoning included in past budgets, so I know first-hand that the Administration is taking our input seriously. More

Water & Sewer bills update

Water & Sewer bill sticker shock

Water and sewer bills are being mailed out this weekend to a large swath of the city. For many property owners, these will be the first water and sewer bills since their water meters were replaced in the fall or winter, meaning that these bills will be for actual usage after potentially years of estimated usage. Many property owners have experienced sticker shock over unexpectedly large water and sewer bills due to this "true-up" when estimated usage has been significantly below actual usage for a long period. More

Grounding the McGrath

Grounding McGrath Highway rendering

Turning the McGrath Highway into a ground-level boulevard has been talked about for decades, but at a public meeting on Tuesday, February 13, MassDOT revealed that funding will be in place by 2027 to begin the design process of tearing down the McCarthy Overpass that cuts off the East Somerville and Brickbottom neighborhoods from the rest of the city. Ward 1 Councilor Matt McLaughlin sums up my thoughts well when he talks about this grounding of the state highway as righting a historical wrong that isolates his ward. More

The future of Davis Square

Davis Square bricks

I hear fairly frequently from constituents that Davis Square is being neglected by the City, with the attention spent on Davis often compared unfavorably to the efforts put into improving or completely redeveloping Assembly Square, Broadway in East Somerville, and Union Square in the past decade-plus. The fact the Davis Square Neighborhood Plan stalled out in 2018 after years of work definitely has contributed to this feeling, but the release in late 2023 of a draft of the Davis Square Commercial Area Plan has restarted the process. More

Armory community meeting on Tuesday
The second in a series of four meetings on the Armory will take place virtually on Zoom on Tuesday, February 27 at 6 PM. I have a conflict with a committee meeting, but if the committee meeting ends on the early side, I'll definitely join this as we try to map out a bright future for this vital arts and cultural resource.

Do you have a chronic health condition?
“HAVE YOU TRIED...?” is a virtual arts-based support group for people 18+ with chronic health conditions. Facilitated by Dr. Lauren Leone, ATR-BC, LMHC, supported by Sara Bessette, LMHC, art therapy intern/student, the group will meet weekly from early March through April, with Somerville residents prioritized for inclusion. Click here for more information and to express interest.

Art & nature-based youth program
Creative by Nature is a program offered this spring for local youth to create art, build relationships, and enjoy a free, three-day artist retreat at Noble View cabin in Central Massachusetts. Email [email protected] for more information or fill out the interest form.

Multi-member body opportunities
The City of Somerville's multiple-member bodies (boards, committees, and commissions) are a great way to be an active part of our city and contribute to the community. The Administration currently is seeking members for the following multi-member bodies:

Did You Know...
Somerville's General Fund annual budget has grown from $195.0 million in FY14 to $337.4 million in FY24. That's a 73-percent increase in a decade, made possible in large part due to all the new growth on the commercial side.

Donate to fund this work

2024 Jake for Somerville ActBlue donation form

Office Hours
Thanks to those who came out to my February office hours yesterday at Winter Hill Brewing Company. Stay tuned for news on March office hours.

In the meantime, I encourage you to find a date and time to meet with me that works for you via my Calendly.

The week ahead
Here's what I'll be attending this week, if you're interested in joining me:

-Jake

Jake Wilson

About

Somerville City Councilor-At-Large (he/him/él)