Candidate Profile: Amy Friedman, Ward 8 City Council

MALDEN, MA — Amy Friedman is one of three candidates running for Ward 8 city councillor in the Sept. 14 preliminary election, which will whittle down the field of candidates ahead of the municipal election in November.

Malden Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Friedman is married with nine children. She was a practicing attorney for 24 years before retiring to be a full-time caregiver for her youngest child, who suffered a traumatic brain injury at 2 years old.

Are you running for office in Malden? Contact Alex Newman at alex.newman@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Malden Patch.

Age (as of Election Day)

53

Position Sought

Ward 8 City Councillor

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

I am married with nine children; three of whom reside at home with us and two of whom attend the Malden Public Schools.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

Bachelor of Arts from Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska. Juris Doctorate from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Occupation

I was a practicing attorney for 24 years and retired to be a full-time caregiver for our youngest child who suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was two years of age. He is nine now and is doing great.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I have not previously held office.

Campaign website

amy@amyformalden.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for City Council because I want to improve Malden. I have the time, skills, training, and experience necessary to lead the constituents of Ward 8 in these efforts. Our City government needs to do the basics well—improving infrastructure and roads, providing essential services like water, sanitation and police and fire protection. Here are some of the proposals I have related to those essential services:

--prepare a complete audit of our roads and then create a long-term maintenance and repair program.
--what possible resurface roads curb to curb at the same time other underground infrastructure needs to be accessed and repaired.
--Put in place a plan to repair our storm water drainage systems as called for in the 2020 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Plan.
--Hire social service professionals trained to assist in resolving matters related to mental health emergencies and drug and addiction crisis available to assist the police.
--Build a dedicated fire station on the east side of the City with an emergency response center.
--expedite an audit of Malden's accessibility to those with differing abilities and physical challenges.
--assure there is a regular review of the inclusionary zoning ordinance and plan for ways to increase affordable housing through the use of the housing trust fund.

We need open and transparent government for all citizens. I will:
--increase disclosure and posting of commonly requested public records on the City website in accessible and multi-lingual forms.
--enact a policy for prompt drafting of minutes of city board and council meetings.
--instigate a complete review of our IT infrastructure with a particular eye towards data security and retention
--institute clear policies and procedures for maintaining and securing our public records.
--assure remote access for and recording of all city board, council and committee meetings. --require training and continuing education for city officials and representatives on public records laws, open meeting laws, and campaign laws.

Fiscal responsibility is crucially important. I would:
--propose regular updates for City Councillors throughout the year on funds coming into the City and expenditure of those funds.
--require Requests for Proposals for all major City expenditures.
--when possible hire businesses owned by our own citizens.
--review part-time positions within the City to determine whether full-time positions need to be created to prevent the significant outsourcing of work.
--individual monetary Ward accounts need to be seriously reconsidered, at a minimum there should be closer accounting of them.
--Mitigation funds, if placed in individual Ward accounts, should be used to directly mitigate the effects of the development.

Finally, the review and re-write of our City Charter is long overdue and seems to have stalled. I support moving this action forward expeditiously.

If elected I promise to lead us as a team to formulate our goals through respectful and thoughtful discussion, create a plan to accomplish those goals, and follow up to achieve those goals through governing.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Addressing the effects of the pandemic. Assuring continued efforts to fight the pandemic and keep the citizens of Malden safe. Assuring an emergency preparedness plan is in place for future emergencies.

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

I am a trained attorney and mediator who practiced law for 24 years. I have experience drafting legislation and have a great deal of experience analyzing the effect and impact of legislation. I am retired and therefore have the time to devote to the important job of representing the citizens of Ward 8 in Malden.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

The incumbent was President of the City Council during the pandemic. In the month after the Governor's emergency order under her direction the Council cancelled their meetings, not even meeting by phone or remotely under the revised Open Meeting laws. The decision to do so was made outside of the public eye, with no official vote being held nor tallied arguably in violation of Open Meeting laws. She also failed to follow the lock-down orders holding a large social gathering just a few months after the pandemic hit our area. There was a large vocal outcry over that event and a call for her resignation. The issue, as I see it, is that she while she specifically advised citizens in our Ward to stay home and avoid large social gatherings she acted absolutely to the contrary. Public representatives should not expect nor receive special treatment. They should live by the same rules why all are expected to live by, and, in fact, should lead by example. When criticized or called out leaders must listen and be accountable. One has to be prepared for criticism and engage respectfully, even with those that disagree with them.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Our city was late in responding to the emergency. As indicated the Council simply recessed for a month. I saw not-for-profit and neighbor associations stepping up and immediately engaged in getting supplies and groceries to residents, making masks, securing PPE. These are all things our City should have taken the lead on.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Answered in question regarding why I am running for City Council.

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

I was an attorney for 24 years and I am a trained mediator. I have written legislation, analyzed the impact of legislation after it takes effect, and testified regarding same. I represented thousands of families, children and employees when I was practicing law. I challenged the constitutionality of laws and was successful in cases seeking to overturn constitutional laws that infringed on citizens civil rights. I ran a busy law practice and raised a large family.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Listen carefully to the question that was asked and answer that question directly.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

An interesting fact about me is that I am an identical twin and my brothers, who are three years older than us, are also identical twins. After having children of my own (my husband and I have nine children in our blended family) I truly appreciated what a saint my Mom is.