Newton Democratic City Committee hosts 12th Middlesex House debate

With two retiring State Representatives creating two open House seats, candidate debates and forums are occurring at the rate of one or two a week. Last week, three Newton environmental groups hosted a climate/environment forum for candidates in both races. On Monday, June 24, the Newton Democratic Ward Committees within State Representative Ruth Balser’s 12th Middlesex district (Wards 5, 6, 8, and precinct 1 of Ward 7) invited the three candidates running for that seat. More than 80 people attended.

Democratic State Committee Secretary Joe Kaplan (from Mansfield, as the moderator, asked questions prepared by members of the organizing committee. Mr. Kaplan explained that in this race, since there are no Republican candidates, the September 3 Democratic Primary would determine the next State Representative for the district.

The three candidates – City Councilor Bill Humphrey, City Councilor Rick Lipof, and former City Councilor Greg Schwartz — answered questions about experience, transparency, public transportation, and establishing working relationships in the Legislature – questions also covered in the earlier forum.

Asked about working with local unions, Councilor Humphrey said he grew up in a union household. His mother is a member of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which has endorsed him. He has also been endorsed by the Newton Teachers Association, two construction trade unions, and the Teamsters Local 122. Councilor Humphrey said that legislators need to listen to union issues, especially health care union issues.

Dr. Schwartz said he has always been a strong union supporter and will continue Rep. Balser’s work with organized labor. Councilor Lipof reported that he has been endorsed by the Police and Firefighters unions of both Newton and Brookline (12th Middlesex includes four Brookline precincts) and he said that the best part of the job is constituent services.

Another question dealt with workforce housing in Newton and Brookline, where Area Median Income (AMI) for Middlesex County is $130,000 for two people – not enough for market-rate housing but too much to qualify for low- and moderate-income housing.

Councilor Lipof wants Workforce Housing to be available at 110% of the AMI, favors Gov. Healey’s Affordable Housing Bill, and supports public/private partnerships.
Dr. Schwartz said that economic success creates jobs that bring workers, but now the area needs tax incentives to meet the affordable housing needs. Better transportation will support area naturally occurring housing, he said.
Bill Humphrey said that public-sector jobs should qualify for housing assistance and public-sector workers should be able to live in the communities in which they work.

The candidates were then asked what the Legislature’s role should be in solving the housing crisis.

Dr. Schwartz said the state should support public/private partnerships to encourage affordable housing like the planned affordable housing development at the West Newton Armory.
Councilor Humphrey wants the state to allow zoning for triple-deckers, which are better for young families, to work with labor unions, and to site the developments near public transportation.
Among the options Councilor Lipof offered is to use the Housing Bond Bill to finance Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), to allow for Multi-Residence Transit (MRT) zones around town/village centers, and to allow for tax credits to incentivize more affordable housing around transportation.

All three candidates agreed that the state needs more public transportation and more public funding.

All three agreed that the MBTA needs to be brought into the 21st century.

Councilor Lipof praised MBTA General Manager Philip Eng and said that the MBTA needs to be fully funded.
Dr. Schwartz believes the Legislature needs\ to be involved with MBTA regulation and oversight.
Councilor Humphrey, whose father is a retired transportation planner, said public transportation is “foundational to everything we face.” He recommends that the Legislature provide more money and special assessments as part of the MBTA Communities Act.

The audience was invited to submit questions to the candidates, one of which asked what they would do for small businesses.

Councilor Lipof explained that he runs a small real-estate-appraisal business and that he understands the needs of small businesses.
Dr. Schwartz noted that meeting costs for liability insurance, taxes, and health care is a challenge for small businesses, and it is important to understand those challenges.
For Councilor Humphrey, changes in zoning that would allow for smaller commercial footprints in city town and village centers would preserve both local business and the character they lend to the area.

UPDATE: See NewTV’s video of the debate.

Ed. Note: We have updated this article to include a link to NewTV’s video of the debate. We have corrected the first paragraph to indicate that the 12th Middlesex District includes only precinct 1 of Ward 7.

Newton Democratic City Committee hosts 12th Middlesex House debate

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