Candidate Profile: Jim Halloran, Medford City Council

MEDFORD, MA — Jim Halloran is one of 14 candidates vying for seven seats on the Medford City Council in the Nov. 2 municipal election. There are also contested races for mayor and school committee.

Medford Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles this week.

Halloran serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals. He is the director of Financial Planning and Analysis at Harvard University.

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

Age (as of Election Day)

36

Position Sought

City Council

Party Affiliation

Independent

Family

Amanda Halloran, wife 37. Juliana, daughter, 7

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Education

MBA UMass Boston, BA Econ UMass Lowell

Occupation

Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, Harvard University

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Medford Zoning Board of Appeals

Campaign website

https://www.facebook.com/Hallo...

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running because I want to make sure that Medford does not get left behind. We have a unique mix of urban and suburban environments here and have the opportunity to direct the future of Medford in a positive way.

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

Medford has a lot of potential and we need the infrastructure in place to support that going forward. We need zoning reform to protect the quality and character of our neighborhoods. We need to ensure that our city buildings and schools are a great place to work and learn. Our transportation infrastructure needs to support the development and change going on in our city and needs to encourage alternative forms of transportation such as walking and biking.

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

Many of the candidates have great ideas, but have no plans on how to fund them. My finance background can help come up with creative solutions for alternative tax revenue that doesn't impact our long term residents and residential tax payers.

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

The current city council's relationship with the city administration has not been the most collaborative. Medford needs a City Council that can work in conjunction with the Administration to get things accomplished, while still ensuring that our resources are being used in the best way possible.

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

I think that the administration did a good job with the information that they had at the time. I would like to see more alternative forms of public participation, such as more Zoom meetings to make government accessible to all.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

One of the largest obstacles to completing Medford's goals is funding. We need to find additional tax revenue to support these initiatives and help Medford continue its current trajectory. We need to rely less on the residential tax base and focus on growing our commercial tax base.