FIRST CHURCH SOMERVILLE UCC– This past Sunday, members of Our Revolution Somerville (ORS) voted to endorse a slate of candidates running for office in Somerville. Both candidates for Ward 2 Alderman – Maryann Heuston and JT Scott – applied for endorsement. JT Scott received the endorsement from ORS along with 9 other candidates running for local office.
JT addressed ORS members at the meeting, detailing his platform. At the forefront is our response the the city’s affordability crisis, which can be addressed at the municipal level in part by new policies he is proposing like the creation of Community Land Trusts and creating a Right of First Refusal law.
Additionally, the city needs to improve on issues of accountability & transparency. The city can do better to notify and involve residents on important legislation being considered like the zoning overhaul for Union Square that allowed a 27-story luxury apartment tower to be built, and notify tenants (instead of only property owners) of board meetings reviewing proposed changes on neighboring properties. It might make the aldermen’s jobs a little harder, but we owe to residents.
JT is also refusing to accept contributions from real estate developers and real estate lawyers – not because they’re bad people, but because he believes an Alderman should work for the residents instead of business interests primarily looking to profit off our city.
Candidates seeking endorsement provided responses to several dozen questions posed by ORS on topics such as campaign finance reform, regulations for real estate development, support for Somerville’s Sanctuary Status, and whether candidates would support allowing non-citizens to vote in municipal elections. Completed questionnaires from all candidates are publicly available on the ORS website, www.ourrevolutionsomerville.com.
Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017.
You can learn more about JT and his campaign by visiting https://jtforward2.com
For more information, contact JT Scott at (857) 615-1532.
Pictured: the candidates endorsed by OR Somerville. Peyton Corbett (Mayor), Ben Ewen-Campen (Ward 3), JT Scott (Ward 2), Will Mbah (At-large), Mary Jo Rossetti (At-Large), Bill White (At-Large). Not pictured but also endorsed: Jesse Clingan (Ward 4), Mark Niedergang (Ward 5), Lance Davis (Ward 6).