Medford Candidate Profile: Emily Lazzaro For City Council

MEDFORD, MA — With the Medford Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Emily Lazzaro, who is one of 12 candidates running for the seven seats on the Medford City Council. Four of the candidates are incumbents: Zac Bears, Kit Collins, George Scarpelli and Justin Tseng.

Lazzaro is the assistant director of the Malden Warming Center, a seasonal homeless shelter. She previously worked for Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent, the superintendent of Medford Public Schools, and at the Massachusetts State House.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Emily Lazzaro

How old will you be as of Election Day?

I will be 38 years old.

Campaign website

https://www.emilyformedford.co...

What city or town do you live in?

Medford

What office are you seeking?

City Council

Education

I grew up in Connecticut and moved to Boston in 2003 to attend college at Boston University. I worked in the arts and higher education for many years, earning an MFA in creative writing also from BU, before changing the direction of my career in 2016 to focus on public policy.

I studied at UMass Boston and worked at the State House for a few years before working for Dr. Marice Edouard-Vincent, the superintendent of schools in Medford, where I learned a lot about how Medford operates and what it needs to thrive.

Occupation

I am the assistant director of the Malden Warming Center, a seasonal homeless shelter that is open from December to March each year. I have been in that position for two years now, but volunteered with the organization since 2021. I am a writer (novelist and playwright) and have also worked extensively in higher education and K-12 education. I’ve been a writer for 15 years and have worked in education for 10 years.

Family

I am married and have two children, ages 6 and 8 currently. They attend the local public elementary school in Medford.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

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

No.

Why are you seeking this office?

When I worked for the superintendent of schools in Medford, I learned a great deal about the Medford Public Schools budget. I saw how tight the budget is and how little room there is for error. The most important thing to me in Medford is that the schools have the funding they need to thrive. The only way they will have appropriate funding is if the Medford City Council and the Medford Mayor's Office approve new revenue streams including, if necessary, a proposition 2 ½ override. I want to be a City Council member to prioritize funding the schools.

I also feel passionately that local government should take on the responsibility of caring for its most vulnerable residents. My work for the Malden Warming Center has made it clear to me that cities can and should offer services for residents dealing with homelessness and addiction. I also will prioritize developing an Office of Housing Stability to ensure that as residents are facing the threat of homelessness there are opportunities for them to find services in town.

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

Chronic underfunding. Medford is one of only a small handful of municipalities in Massachusetts that have never had a proposition 2 ½ override on the ballot. Our local government has denied Medford residents the ability to engage in the democratic process by denying them the chance to vote on whether or not they would like to pay for the services in their city that they demand and deserve.

I intend to engage Medford residents in a robust discussion about what a proposition 2 ½ override would mean for them and what it would mean for Medford, how it would work, and how it would help everyone who lives here.

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

I am one of seven candidates running with an endorsement from Our Revolution Medford, and we as a cohort are united in our commitment to building a better, more equitable, safer Medford. The other candidates are all committed to this city and believe in their hearts that they can make Medford better. I believe the Our Revolution candidates have clear vision and clear direction to make it happen. Our knowledge, experience, drive and commitment are unparalleled. The other six candidates are Zac Bears, Kit Collins, Justin Tseng, Anna Callahan, Jaclyn Torres Roth, and Matt Leming.

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

George Scarpelli is the only incumbent running for Medford City Council who has failed his community. The way he has done it is by refusing to vote in favor of charter review and refusing to vote in favor of putting a proposition 2 ½ override on the ballot. Both of those votes were undemocratic. Both of those votes denied Medford residents the right to have their voices heard.

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

There are a number of antiquated ways that Medford operates because it is "how it has always been done." This is not good enough for me. I do not believe that doing something a certain way because that is how it has always been done is anywhere near good enough. If something can be done with greater equity, that is how we should do it. I believe that many of our city policies and systems were put in place for a society that existed 70 years ago, and it is time for an update.

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

I have experience working in local and state government, I have experience as a leader at the Malden Warming Center, and I am an empathetic, thoughtful person. I have spent my whole life attempting to do the most good for the most people that I possibly can. I believe the most good I can do right now is to run for this position so that I can use my personal power of empathy to care for people in my community and to fight against powerful interests that are trying to deny that care.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

When I talked to other parents before I had children about when was the right time to have kids, somebody told me there is never a right time. That is true for running for office as well. Just do it. Do it now.