Osborne Discusses City Council Candidacy

Why do you wish to serve as a Medford City Councilman?

I’m fully invested in Medford. Accepting “just okay” or “average” for our city is unsettling to me. I love this city because the people of this city welcomed my family and me when we arrived here in December, 1969. I chose to raise my family here because of the many deeply rooted connections in this city. Any one who has every worked with me on a project, a committee or non-profit organization board can attest that if the goal is important to all then Neil Osborne is ready, willing, and committed to personally doing the work to achieve the goal.

What qualifies you for this position?

My qualifications for the position of a Medford City Councilman are highlighted within my desire to take on a leadership role as a Medford City Councilor. I feel that the skills I’ve acquired through post-graduate degrees, one a Masters in Labor Relations from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and another a law degree from Suffolk University Law School; my work experiences that include working for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority with the last position held that of Staff Council before starting my own legal practice will benefit the City. Additionally the numerous connections I’ve made with so many other good Medford friends and neighbors from my active participation on several community organizations have all worked to adequately prepared me, a long time citizens of Medford, as a trusted, qualified and capable city councilor.

First and foremost are past and current commitments to make Medford an exceptional place to live, work and raise a family. I serve, and continue to serve, on the Board of Director of Medford Health Matters which includes the role of Treasurer because the organization needed some stability in that position. I joined Medford Health Matter because I viewed and agreed with its mission of facilitating the improvements in the quality of life of citizens by encouraging programs that bring about and work toward healthier outcomes. Several years ago when I was invited to join the Board of Mystic Valley Elder Services, after being recognized for providing pro-Bono legal aid to an elderly Medford man battling housing issues, I accepted that challenge because I wanted to contribute on a larger scale to ensuring that seniors in our community continue to receive the highest quality services and have the opportunity to remain active participates in the quilt of diversity that makes Medford a special place to live, work, learn and play. Other activities that boost my qualifications include service on the West Medford Community Center Board as its current Vice President, and serving as the President of the regional National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Mystic Valley Area Branch for over 4 years. I also have a passion for helping out young people as I see them as our future and have served as a math tutor in a program to boost math performance of young people in our community. As the father of a daughter just starting out in middle school, my wife and I take personal responsibly to see that she works towards achieving high educational goals, but I also view my position in the community as being committed to ensuring that every student in our public system has every opportunity to set and achieve high educational goals. The educational success of our young people is our future and I,for one, am willing to sacrifice and invest in their success.

What is the biggest problem facing the city?

What could be a huge problem if not adequately managed is the establishment of medical marijuana dispensaries. While the role of a City Council is not to circumvent established state law, it is perfectly legitimate to minimize potential negative impacts any business (include medical marijuana dispensaries) would have in your community.

Should you be elected, how would you address this?

As marijuana dispensaries are new to all of Massachusetts it is prudent to analyze what happens in other neighborhoods in and outside of Massachusetts as these types of businesses start coming on line. As a City Councilor I would advocate for requiring City Department heads, including the Police Department, to review the impact of this new type of business within the city’s borders. When in possession of complete and thorough potential impact reports then we as a City Council can debate the appropriateness and/or the need to establish, reasonable limits on operations within our city.

– Submitted by the Neil Osborne for Medford City Council campaign