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How is the role of a ward councilor different than an at-large councilor? What current city councilor is the closest to how you expect to serve? In what ways?

Kathy Winters

I believe the ward councilor plays a special role in responding to constituent concerns and serving as a voice for the ward. At-large councilors can certainly do that as well, but because ward councilors are elected by the voters of the ward, they have a particular obligation to work on their behalf. I do not believe that approach is in conflict with serving the city as a whole, and I will always vote for what is best for the city. Councilor John Rice has been an exemplary ward councilor. I have worked closely with John over the past six years in my role on the Waban Area Council, and I have admired his tireless efforts to keep the community informed and to help residents navigate city hall. Most of all, I have admired his quiet and effective way of serving the public good and getting things done.

Bill Humphrey

I think the ward councilors do not have a sharply different role from an at-large councilor because many people already go to their ward’s at-large councilor with the same ward-specific questions and of course the ward councilors have the same citywide votes on council business as the at-large councilors. The main difference is that the ward councilors, ideally, know their own ward at an even more granular level as a result of the election process. In my case, I’ve knocked on more than 5,000 doors in Ward 5, and so I think that’s true of me. But every ward councilor has their own approach. I know that Councilor Noel in Ward 6 ran a similar campaign in 2017, and so I would probably seek to emulate a lot of her approach on the council as well. But I also consider Councilor-at-Large Albright to be a big role model for me. I think she’s a very effective lawmaker on the council and advances a lot of policies I care about.