Marks Seeking Re-Election to City Council

Let me begin by saying what I hope all of you already know about me: I love this city! It has been my passion for as long as I can remember, and it is why I have devoted the better half of my adult life to public service here in Medford.

We are poised on the threshold of a new era, about to take a new and exciting step forward, front and center, reaching into the 21st century.

If you will give me your support, your confidence, your trust, we can soar!

We can make our city the envy of its neighbors, the pride of its citizens, a legacy for generations to come.

Together, we can seize this opportunity to transform Medford from the status quo into the great, peerless city it deserves to be – a city on the cutting edge.

Let’s make Medford the miracle city on the Mystic.

We can do it!

Are you ready to join me?

What are your ideas, you ask? Where do you plan to take us? What can we expect from Michael Marks? All fair questions.

So, let me give you a broad overview of what you can expect from me over the next 2 years in both style and substance.

– First, my agenda as your representative will be driven by you, the residents and by public input. It will be a collaboration. My goal is to be both transparent and accessible.

– As your city councilor, I have never shrunk from the big, contentious issues. I will continue to take them head on, as I always have. “Safe” is not a place I’m at.

– My message to the neighborhoods is this: I am your voice. I will continue to hear you. You will always have a friend in Michael Marks. I will yield to no one in my support of the neighborhoods!

– During the past 14 years, as your city councilor, I have dedicated myself to “doing the people’s business”, and, to this end, I’ve worked tirelessly to be worthy of your trust. Over that time, I’ve become conversant in a broad and expansive range of issues, and I would like to think that I’ve learned what makes Medford’s heart beat.

– The new parking program – kiosks and the pay-to -park feature- has come under withering opposition by both the residents and the business community. In fact, the program itself has morphed into a voracious revenue-generator at odds with its original intention which was to simply free-up parking spaces. As your city councilor, I will actively advocate for its elimination. Instead, I will recommend that we implement enforcement of the existing parking signage throughout the community.

– Another troubling issue that needs to be addressed and that will get my attention is the crucial but overlooked matter of maintenance – or the lack of it- in our public buildings. These include our school buildings, where our
children spend their days, our public library, police headquarters at 100 Main Street, and our public safety facilities.

– High on my list of imperatives will be the introduction of a 311 system for the City of Medford. Quite simply, 311 is an innovative customer service system by which residents may dial 311, using either their internet and
Smartphone interfaces or traditional landline to directly access city services. Not only will 311 provide residents with more timely responses from City Hall, it will serve as a tracking mechanism for the city to identify trends in service requests, assess how quickly those requests are being addressed, and how best to allocate city resources.

– The revitalization of Medford is central to our success as a thriving community on the cusp of a new, innovative future. Economic opportunities abound, but we must reach out for them. Today, one of those opportunities exists in plain view: 3 city owned parcels of land on the eastern edge of Medford Square. As your city councilor, I will encourage an invigorated Office of Community Development to take a more proactive role in attracting new investment and in charting the future of our community.

– Seniors! Seniors will always be on my radar. We forged our connection many years ago while I was novice city councilor. To this day, I actively support issues important to our seniors and will continue to marshall all the
resources at my disposal to insure that seniors always get a fair shot. You guys can count on it. You deserve nothing less!

And now that you know who I am, and where I plan to journey with you over the next couple of years, let me finish with these words:

I am and, always have been, motivated by a sense of duty – a summons to serve. What can I do for my community?

How can I improve the lives of my fellow citizens, the people of Medford?

What can I do for those who feel left out or cannot speak for themselves- the most vulnerable among us?

And yes, I have an obligation to the people of Medford to get it right.

I have a vision for Medford, but I need you – all of you- by my side to make that vision a reality.

This is our watershed moment!

Let’s not squander it.

Our best days are ahead of us.

I can be reached by email at Michael@marksformedford.com or by phone at (781)-396-5387

– Submitted by Michael Marks