Meet City Council Candidate Paul Donato Jr.

How many years have you lived in Medford? 

I am a lifelong Medford resident.

Please describe your professional background and education. 

I am a Medford high school graduate and I have been involved as an owner/operator in the food service/catering business. 

What, if any, city positions (appointed or elected) have you held, and for how long? 

I have been actively involved through the years with local politics and local community organizations.

What volunteer roles have you participated in that you feel have made a difference in Medford? 

I have proudly participated in Medford’s first pride festival, Medford Farmers Market, and Medford National Night Out.

Why should residents vote for you? 

I want to bring a open and honest voice to the council, not the anti-Medford divisive voices of the present “our revolution” council.

What do you believe are the top 3 issues currently facing the city of Medford? How do you specifically plan to address those issues?

1. I want to maintain that our city’s neighborhood zoning is not disrupted by the present or City Council proposals.

2.  Prepare for a multi-year, city-wide, comprehensive infrastructure program. 

3. Ensure that our fire and police personnel are duty ready for any occasion.

Transparency and communication are vital in representative government. What steps will you or have you taken to keep your constituents informed about local decisions and to explain your voting rationale?

When residents, as of now, are only allowed 2 minutes to present their concerns before the City Council, that is wrong. A 5-minute rule per speaker should be allowed, at minimum, on any topic for discussion. Since our city has no credible local print newspaper, a combination of social media and individual literature delivery is the at-present option.

What specific methods will you use to gather and represent your constituents’ perspectives on issues that come before the City Council?

Listening and meeting with ALL citizens, if need be, will direct my votes to all… not just those who say that they have voted for me.

The past two years, the City Council has been updating the zoning across the city. Many residents feel the process has been too quick and has covered too much at once. What are your thoughts on that? If elected, how would you approach zoning?

The new City Council can address the re-zoning that has been fast tracked by the current City Council. The new council can address major areas of updated zoning for Mystic Avenue, Medford Square, and potential housing areas that are compatible within residential and commercial development.

There have been City Council meetings that have gone past midnight. Do you really think these marathon meetings are serving the public? Should there be a time cap on meetings for everyone’s sake?

Meeting weekly would be more productive, get resolutions through quicker, and make the meetings shorter.