Medford Candidate Profile: Melanie Tringali For City Council

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

Here, we learn more about Melanie Tringali, who is among 12 candidates running for the seven seats on the Medford City Council. There are four incumbents in the race: Zac Bears, Kit Collins, George Scarpelli, and Justin Tseng.

Tringali is the marketing director at a professional services firm that outsources accounting, IT, and HR.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Melanie Tringali

Campaign website

https://www.tringaliformedford...

What city or town do you live in?

Medford

What office are you seeking?

City Council

Please give us your party affiliation

Unenrolled

Education

UMass Amherst, BS in Marketing and Economics

Occupation

I have 20 years of experience working in both operations and marketing for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations in the education, high-tech and professional service industries. I am currently the marketing director at a professional services firm that outsources accounting, IT, and HR.

Family

I am married to James Murdock, and we have four children, Makayla, Emily, Jacqueline, and Jacob, and our dog Tucker.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

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

I currently serve on the Medford Historic District Commission.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am proud to be a long-time resident of this wonderful city and community. However, I feel that the lack of focus on our city and the local issues has resulted in missed opportunities, failing infrastructure, unsafe schools, lackluster city squares, congested streets, and a deteriorated city.

My goal is to bring our focus back on the city and be a voice for ALL residents of Medford.

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

There are multiple issues facing the residents of Medford, but the one that I hear the most from residents of all ages and backgrounds is our streets, sidewalks and city buildings, most importantly a new firehouse and high school. In order to address these issues, we need to:

Diversify our revenue: We need new revenue streams that move away from our residential tax dependency. We must develop a long-term vision and plan that encourages commercial and mixed-used development and fosters local businesses.

Promote fiscal responsibility and accountability: We need to know line item by line item how much money is coming in and how much money is going out. We need to know exactly how our budget dollars are being spent so that we can develop budgets with confidence and allocate appropriately.

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

I am an independent candidate, not tied to any party affiliation, nor any political group, allowing me to make decisions for what is best for the city and the residents.

As a professional, I have 20 years of business experience working for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations. During my tenure, I have managed people and budgets, negotiated deals, overseen large projects and collaborated with multiple stakeholders.

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

I am not challenging any incumbent.

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

Repair and invest in our city: Let’s make Medford beautiful again. We need to fix our streets and sidewalks, many of which are unsafe. Our city buildings and schools are in disrepair and need both immediate and long-term maintenance plans. Our firefighters need a new firehouse, and we need to look at modernizing our high school.

Revitalize our city squares: Working with the business districts, the Chamber of Commerce and City officials, we need to put our plans into action. After countless studies, it is time to invigorate our downtowns so that they are vibrant public spaces where residents can gather, connect, and enjoy the local culture.

Community safety: We need safe schools and neighborhoods. We need smart traffic improvements to reduce the overly congested streets and confusing traffic patterns. We need to ensure our first responders have the equipment, staff and facilities they need to do their jobs, and to do them well — people’s lives depend upon it.

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

In my experience as a business leader, I have helped both nonprofit and for-profit organizations streamline processes, scale, and generate new revenue.

As a resident, I have served on many local committees and organizations, and am familiar with our city government. I served on the Medford Family Network, co-chaired the Columbus (now Missituk) school, and organized park cleanups for years. Today, I serve on the Medford Historic District Commission and am a member of the Medford Rotary Club.

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

As an elected official I am here to serve the people, and that is what I intend to do.