Candidates Questionnaire - Anthony Galluccio

1. Many residents feel that their property taxes are  too high, and that because of this they cannot afford to buy a house or rent an apartment to stay in Cambridge. How can we make sure that property taxes keep the city affordable while providing the city with the tax base it needs?

First, we must advocate for changes at the state level which allow us to thoughtfully address significant increases in residential property taxes and speculative valuation of residential property. We currently take advantage of every possible relief that the state allows for residential tax payers. However, it is important to note that lowering taxes (if we could be successful on the state level) will also mean looking at budget cuts, the sale of city-owned property (ex. the old police station) and dipping into surplus cash. These all must be confronted openly and carefully while we consider these options.

At a minimum, we must continue to toe the line on budget increases despite rising health care costs and negotiated raises for the city’s employees.

2. How can we make public transportation better in Cambridge and what can the City Council do to encourage residents to use public transportation?

I was a vocal supporter of Parking Demand Traffic Management reviews for large projects in Cambridge, which requires that private developers utilize practices and invest in infrastructure that supports public and non-auto transportation. We must advocate for re-investment by the state in public transportation for improved and more frequent service.

Each year, I have fought MBTA reductions in bus and subway routes. I also continue to support “smart growth” concepts which promote new construction around mass transit routes.

3. What can the city do to make sure that future negotiations with the city’s unions are fair to workers?

As evidenced by my consistent endorsement by the Greater Boston Labor Council, I have been a zealous advocate for the working men and women of organized labor. Currently, our workers have benefits and health care packages that rank amongst the best in the state. Cambridge remains an excellent place to work, but to maintain this standard requires our constant attention.

4. Cambridge is one of the centers of high-tech innovation in the country. What can the City Council do to encourage innovation and take advantage of new technology while keeping the city affordable to its residents?

The votes I have taken to re-shape zoning have always weighed the importance of Cambridge maintaining our competitive edge in the high-tech industries. Without the consistent stability of the biotech industry, residential taxpayers in Cambridge would face larger tax burdens. These research-based companies are lower in traffic reduction than some other commercial developments and work hand-in-hand with our city’s valuable educational institutions.

As Mayor, I met personally with the CEOs of a number of these biotech companies to better understand their needs and get these companies more involved in our schools and workforce programs. These meetings resulted in the first of a kind biotech community laboratory for public high school students at Biogen.

As Cambridge becomes a more attractive place to live to the growing number of employees at high-tech companies, we have to strengthen our commitment to affordable housing to maintain our city’s precious diversity.

I will continue to support the City of Cambridge’s Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance, of which I was an original sponsor. As Chair of the City Council’s Housing Subcommittee for the past two terms, I have been a vocal advocate for passage of the Community Preservation Act, which not only adds millions of dollars annually to our housing funds, but gives better flexibility to assist residents of working and middle incomes.

I am proud of my personal involvement working with neighborhoods and city leaders to ensure that affordable housing projects are thoughtfully and carefully integrated into our neighborhoods. During this current term, I led efforts to establish a working group to create re-investment into dilapidated state public housing units which are an essential component to our affordable housing stock.

5. What will you do to take advantage of the unique educational resources provided by Cambridge’s universities while preventing university development that threatens working families?

I have co-chaired the Riverside Oversight Committee and the University Relations sub-committee and made neighborhood protection, support of our public schools, affordable housing and usable open space priorities.

This year, along with co-chair Councillor Decker, I reinstituted meetings which I initiated with university presidents to expand on both the school and youth-based partnerships that our city’s universities have with our public schools. An example of these partnerships is the Harvard-Cambridge Summer Academy, which provides summer learning to over 300 CRLS students in partnership wit the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Neighborhood protection must remain our top priority. I believe that the Riverside agreement and similar agreements in the Agassiz neighborhood are examples of the productive work that can be accomplished with our city’s universities. The residents in each of these neighborhoods, including Porter Square residents who have worked closely with Lesley University, deserve the lion’s share of the credit in this area.

6. What can the City Council do to ensure that future development is not environmentally harmful?

As an example of my leadership in the area of environmental protection, I am proud of my support of the Cambridge Asbestos Protection Ordinance. I will continue to work toward vehicle trip reduction, incentives for lower-emission vehicles and all policies which lower our dependence on oil.

Over my six terms on the Cambridge City Council, I have attempted to strike an important balance between allowing reasonable commercial development to move forward without having adverse impacts on our residential neighborhoods. I have consistently supported zoning changes that increase open space requirements and create strong incentives to create housing which adds supply, includes precious affordable units and is lower in traffic intensity that most commercial uses.

I have been willing to openly confront the difficult trade-offs that create housing and open space, which sometimes means higher density and heights in appropriate locations which will have less of an impact on our residential neighborhoods.

I consider the creation of new housing units and recreational open space to be areas of leadership and success during my six terms on the council.

Anthony D Galluccio
anthonygalluccio@comcast.net