Get To Know Braintree Mayoral Candidate Erin Joyce

BRAINTREE, MA — Local elections in Braintree are less than a month away, and Patch is determined to help residents get to know their candidates for council, mayor and school committee.

Patch has sent candidate questionnaires to each of the candidates that will appear on the ballot in a contested race for each of those three positions.

Erin Joyce is challenging incumbent Mayor Charles Kokoros in November, but she is far from a newcomer to Braintree's political landspace, having served on the Planning Board for nearly a decade.

The most pressing issue for Braintree, in her eyes? "Long-term fiscal stability."

Find out more about Joyce and her vision for Braintree below:

Name

Erin Joyce

How old will you be as of Election Day?

42

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://www.ErinJoyceForBraint...

What city or town do you live in?

Braintree, MA

What office are you seeking?

Mayor of Braintree, Massachusetts

Education.

I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Syracuse University where I graduated summa cum laude.

What is your occupation?

I’m a registered professional civil engineer and I own a civil engineering and land surveying consulting firm in Braintree.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

My husband Michael and I are raising our three young boys, who attend 1st grade, 6th grade and 8th grade in the Braintree Public Schools, and we live in the neighborhood behind Hollis Elementary School. We also have a couple of furry friends in our home too - a cat named Blue and our new puppy, Bristol. We are lucky to have parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews that also call Braintree home and I am thrilled to be running for mayor on behalf of everyone in our Town.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No, my family does not currently work in politics nor have we worked in government.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

I was an appointed member of the Braintree Planning Board for the last eight years, serving as chairperson for the last three years until this spring when I stepped away to announce my candidacy for mayor of Braintree. I am also an active appointed member of the State of Massachusetts Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking the office of Mayor of Braintree as a result of the culmination of over a decade of community service to our town with a strong personal interest in public service work. I view the role of Mayor as a meaningful way to continue my service to the Town of Braintree in a full-time position while leveraging my unique skill sets of a civil engineer, business owner and parent.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

I believe our most pressing issue is long-term fiscal stability. Our reliable and predictable revenue sources do not currently meet our recurring expenses, which became glaringly apparent in this year’s budget season when we drew $4.3M of our free cash to plug an operating deficit. While we’ve seen neighboring Towns make monumental investments into public infrastructure, we are still grappling with what our own ability to evolve and the pace at which meets our needs without overtaxing our service systems. We need to recognize our financial issues as a community and we need to formulate a way in which we can raise revenue and make residents aware of why more revenue is needed. Last year new growth estimates missed their mark by $250,000 and we saw commercial building permit numbers fall. We need to be proactive about revitalizing blighted and underutilized commercial zones, create a streamlined permitting process, open Braintree up for business, and go after federal and state grant monies - if not we risk tax increases that may not be palatable for many residents or we cut services in our schools and community.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

While I have not held elected office in Braintree before, I have been actively engaged at Town Hall for years and have been listening to resident concerns and formulating solutions for our Town whenever offered an opportunity. I will bring a fresh set of ideas and perspective to Town Hall while working hard to preserve the fabric of Braintree that means so much to residents and business owners. Braintree has stagnated in the past few years due to a lack of long-term strategic planning with our budget and our town departments and we spend too much time on short-term quick fixes with no consideration of long-term implications. As a professional civil engineer and planner, my administration will institute comprehensive long-term plans for our town departments to solve our most pressing deficiencies and plan for future capital improvements in a predictable way.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

My opponent has essentially halted meaningful new growth in Town and has failed to disclose the financial situation we are facing as a community - a growing deficit with no long-term plan for fiscal stability - so that residents cannot be fully engaged in conversations around the future of Braintree. We have become a community of reactive leadership as opposed to proactive leadership and we are seeing that reality play out in the band aid approach to serious infrastructure issues and the inability to complete projects - we throw 50 percent of the resources at 100 percent of the projects instead of fully funding a targeted list of the most needed improvements.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Braintree Public Schools (BPS) have always been at the heart of our campaign. As a parent with children at Hollis and East, I’ve seen how our schools are stretched thin with curriculum cuts, I’ve noted the conditions of tired buildings and witnessed first-hand the frustration of educators to secure a new contract in a timely manner. My administration will work to grow town revenue to insulate school budgets and will tackle a viable plan to revitalize Braintree’s High School - first with new and modern vocational programming to grow the school from the inside out and second by performing a comprehensive buildings assessment to dictate the long term vision for BPS infrastructure and plan for a renovated or new high school building.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I established a successful civil engineering and land surveying business in Braintree from scratch with young children at home - I am comfortable with hard work, multi-tasking and relationship building. As a consulting professional civil engineer I am always collaborating with clients, residents and various municipalities to plan, permit, and budget for bringing projects to life. I am well versed in the intricacies of town government, especially in Braintree, as a past member of the Planning Board and Master Plan Steering Committee, and current member of the Charter Review Commission. As a former chair of the Hollis PTO I have seen first hand the problems our schools and teachers face and have worked to strategize, plan, and implement outside programs and events to bridge the gap and fund much needed supplies and programs for the kids.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Be yourself - even when running for office. The truth is that you cannot win every vote, but you can tell people the story of you. During this campaign I’ve been true to who I am and my vision for Braintree. As your next Mayor I will continue to be open and honest with the residents of Braintree and prioritize the town over political considerations.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

For over 20 years I have called Braintree my home and my children have third generation Braintree roots - Braintree is the place my husband Michael and I chose for our children to call home. The Town is a special place for so many of us and as your next mayor I intend to do everything in my power to move Braintree forward to a brighter future.