Candidate Profile: Kelly Sheehan Catallo, Medford City Council

MEDFORD, MA — Kelly Sheehan Catallo 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.

Catallo has been a business owner and Realtor for nearly 30 years.

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)

55

Position Sought

City Councillor

Party Affiliation

Independent

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Medford High School 1984

Occupation

Business Owner and Realtor- 29 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

none

Campaign website

KellyCatallo4Medford.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

As a citizen, I have accomplished much in the last 30 years that improves the quality of our life here in Medford, yet there is still so much more I want to help move forward. I am focused on Medford first. I've participated in meetings for 25 years to rebuild Medford Sq only to be stalled by government red tape- its time to put a shovel in the ground and get the work done. Talk of rebuilding Medford High School has been going on for way too long- its long past time to put a plan in motion and get the work done. Maintenance of YOUR city owned property- buildings, streets, sidewalks needs to be a plan not a bandaid.

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

Zoning, development and housing are the biggest issues facing the city council, my knowledge and experience, earned during my 29 year career in housing and development on the streets of Medford, brings value to the body of the Medford City Council. I have an understanding of housing on the street level- not just the policy level and have developed an in depth understanding of why something might work in one neighborhood but would negatively affect the existing residents of another neighborhood. As well as programs that are already being funded on the state and federal level, available to our Medford residents, that shouldn't be duplicately funded on the local level. Updating our zoning code will create housing that does not impede current residents liberties. Neighborhood meetings, design review, green space requirements and adhering to 1 process will alleviate the anxiety of our residents, set standards to work by for developers, hence not needlessly increasing the cost of housing with unnecessary engineering and attorney fees.

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

By virtue of my profession and advocacy for housing and private property rights on the local, state and national level I bring subject matter experience and knowledge to help Medford grow through the current pains we are experiencing in keeping a roof over our heads, developing a thicker commercial tax base and developing vacant lands for what Medford needs without trampling our neighborhoods or extensive conservation property.
As a business owner I have been balancing budgets for 29 years. I am also an experienced negotiator, mediator, trainer, marketer and project manager. I am results oriented and have a dedicated, proven record of leadership.

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

I have an extensive list of accomplishments you can view on my website at KellyCatallo4Medford.com with a more in depth list at https://www.cosmopolitanreales...

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"The leaders job isn't to have all the ideas, it is to make sure that all the ideas are heard so that the best one wins." "Together, everyone achieves more."