Melrose Candidate Profile: Ryan Williams For City Council

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

Here, we learn more about John Ryan Williams, who is among 10 candidates running for four councilor-at-large seats on the Melrose City Council.

Williams currently is the city councilor representing Ward 7, but he is running at large after moving within Melrose.

Williams works as a senior fundraiser for community and national nonprofits.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Ryan Williams - Councilor At Large

How old will you be as of Election Day?

44

Campaign website

https://www.ryanformelrose.com...

What city or town do you live in?

Melrose

What office are you seeking?

City councilor-at-large

District

At-large (citywide)

Education

Undergraduate degree in Journalism, concentration on Science, Health and Environment.

Occupation

Have 15 years of experience as a senior fundraiser for community and national nonprofits with budgets ranging from $13m to $400m.

Family

Married with two children ages 7 and 9 in Melrose Public Schools.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

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

I am currently the city councilor for Ward 7 in Melrose.

Why are you seeking this office?

In the last two years, I've worked on City Council, I've learned a lot about what City Council can —and can't — do. I've learned that the issues I champion in my own neighborhood, like safer streets, sustainability, better information about the city's budget and supporting our teachers and students, are universal. Almost immediately upon taking office in 2022, I began working in neighborhoods across Melrose to implement traffic calming programs, meeting with our arts community and business leaders to discuss ways we can collaborate on cultural and economic development, and getting to know our teachers and school administrators to get to the bottom of how to stop our unhealthy tradition of underfunding our schools.

My family and I also moved to a different street in Melrose this year, and running at-large was the best way to continue my work on the council.

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

The single most pressing issue facing Melrose is the ability of the City Council, mayors office and School Committee to work together as a team and confront the difficult decisions we will need to make as a city, to ensure our needs are met and we are making the best use of taxpayer dollars to move Melrose forward.

Even before I was elected to the council in 2021, I have worked to build relationships across the political spectrum with residents, to earn the trust and respect of City department heads, and to build bridges with the mayor's office, our state representative and senator, and even neighboring communities, to position Melrose for success.

Those relationships and teamwork approach to Melrose City Council are critical because no single councilor can accomplish anything alone. Eight out of the 11 total votes are required to pass any spending or ordinance. Melrose has extremely important decisions ahead of it, and we can't afford to lose two years to playing politics, or airing old grudges. We need a council that will work together and move Melrose forward, and I promise to be part of that solution.

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

I am an action-oriented public servant with hands-on experience implementing programs that have made Melrose streets safer, our municipal finances more accessible, and our community more sustainable. I've spent the last two years serving as the Ward 7 councilor, working on issues that matter to local residents like new playgrounds, sidewalk repairs, adding more trees and standing up for our schools. I bring real experience and understanding of what the city council can and can't do, and I've spent years building trusted relationships with City staff and colleagues on the council to ensure we can function as a team to best serve the people of Melrose.

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

Because the at-large race has four available seats and only two incumbents, I don't view myself as challenging the incumbents in this race. On the contrary, I work together with them and support them in our shared goals for a better future.

As a whole, the city of Melrose is dealing with the fallout of the management practices of past generations. Melrose is a city that, until very recently, refused public art, shortchanged its road repair program, and historically underfunded our schools with outdated budgeting practices. We have an opportunity with this election to send a message that we need to continue to move Melrose forward, and not go back to the past.

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

During the campaign, I have worked to promote unity and cooperation, and to confront and dispel negative and false opinions using facts and data. I've used the campaign to listen to hundreds of voters, and one thing is clear: many of you agree we need to move past our disagreements and grudges and elect as many pro-growth, pro-safety, pro-schools and pro-business candidates as we can.

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

As the Ward 7 city councilor, I established a neighborhood working group to bring more than $150,000 in upgrades to Foss Park. I continue to work with local neighbors and the Parks Department to identify opportunities to improve use of the space and protect it for recreation and outdoor space.

I am also collaborating with the Melrose Historic Commission to combine my passion for preserving Melrose's open space with an exciting new project — exploring our indigenous heritage at the Lebanon Street Park and other open spaces in Melrose.

With my colleagues on the Ped/Bike committee, I personally participated in the design and implementation of two pilot traffic calming programs to Ward 7, and several others throughout the city during my term, and I secured funding and design assistance for Melrose to further expand the program with new semi-permanent speed humps and traffic safety devices on Woodland, Howard, Lynde and other streets, to make our neighborhood streets safe for residents, but especially families with kids and seniors.

Those are my personal accomplishments, but I also joined my council colleagues in approving a new roof and solar power system for the Hoover School, as well as a new planning process to evaluate our school buildings and seek state funding to begin regular rehabilitation and replacement discussions, and I proudly supported Melrose Teachers in their fight for a fair contract. I was one of the 8 votes to pass the Melrose Housing Production Plan, and I vetoed a proposed increase in solar permitting costs to help more Melrose residents choose renewable energy.

Melrose deserves councilors who are out in the community, doing the work with their own hands. We don't need more outrage, we need to fix problems. Use your vote wisely, and support candidates who will do the work to keep Melrose moving forward.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Being polite is important, but being honest is more important.

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

My campaign is entirely run by passionate Melrose residents who want to see our city grow and improve. You can support my campaign with a donation of money, or time. Please reach out to me at ryan@ryanformelrose.com to learn more about how you can help us across the finish line.