Newton Candidate Profile: Bryan Barash On Why He's Running

NEWTON, MA — Newton will have several contested races in this fall's election, including one for City Council seat in Ward 2. Bryan Barash is challenging incumbent Emily Norton this year. Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Barash lives in Newtonville with his wife Claudia and their two mini dachshunds Shotzy and Seven. For the past five years he's worked as General Counsel to State Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler. Before that he ran his own small business and worked for the campaigns of President Barack Obama and Senator Tom Udall. He's also served on the Newton Human Rights Commission and the city's Charter Commission

Barash recieved his B.A. State University of New York at Stony Brook and his J.D. Boston College Law School.

He took some time to answer a few questions:

Previously:

• Newton Election Calendar 2019: What To Know About Election

Are you running for office in Newton? Contact Jenna Fisher at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Waltham Patch.

The single most pressing issue facing our city is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our ward, and our city, is preparing for a sustainable future. We must be proactive rather than reactive, putting detailed plans in place for our transportation network, to add much-needed housing distributed fairly across Newton while preserving the city’s character, and to improve our environmental sustainability. These issues are interrelated, and I want to work with other elected officials and residents to lead Newton into the future on our terms rather than letting the future happen to us.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates?

I am a strong supporter of affordable housing so Newton can be a place where people of all income levels can afford to live. We are losing too many people with strong ties to Newton due to lack of affordable housing.

I am a strong supporter of working people, and especially our public employees. I believe they must be paid a fair wage and given every opportunity to live in the community they serve. I am proud to have the endorsement of the Newton Teachers Association. I oppose outsourcing and am the only candidate in the race who supported Newton custodians in their successful effort to avoid being outsourced.

In what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

I am running to represent all of Ward 2. Whatever your views, I want to hear from you and, no matter what you need, I will be responsive. You can call me at 617-564-1622 or email me at info@bryanbarash.com.

I live on the north side of Newtonville. We received a letter in 2017 saying that our street would be repaved after many years. It was not, and we never received any explanation as to why*. That is not acceptable, and the incumbent Councilor has not been there for us on it.

[*His opponent Emily Norton said she met with the residents and the city's traffic engineer at the corner of Washington and Lowell in August 2017 and as a result additional signage was installed to increase safety at the intersection. Norton says she does not attend all of the Austin Street or Washington Place liaison committee meetings because they are chaired by her Ward 2 colleagues, and they keep her informed when something particularly thorny comes up - this is an example of the Ward 2 councilors working as a team to support the Ward.]

The intersection nearest my house (Washington Street and Lowell Avenue), like a number of intersections in Ward 2, is downright dangerous. Several local residents have contacted the current Councilor and our emails were met with silence. We need a Councilor who is here for us all of the time, not just some of the time.

By virtue of her office, the incumbent is a member of the liaison committees for the Austin Street and Washington Place projects. She has attended hardly any of the meetings, while I have attended most of them because I want to know what is going on with these important construction projects. We must manage the process so as to minimize disruption for residents, and learn what we can to apply it to other projects. By comparison, our two at-large Councilors, Susan Albright and Jake Auchincloss, attend many of the meetings and each chair one of the committees.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

We have a long way to go on transportation. Working with the state to improve public transportation service, starting with the infrequent and inaccessible Newtonville commuter rail station, is a top priority.

We are just starting to catch up on a large backlog of roads in need of repaving, but paving is just the tip of the iceberg. We have many intersections in Newton that could be designed better or have better traffic signal times. A number of intersections in Ward 2, including several right near my home on Lowell Avenue, are not safe and that must change.

We do not have a single protected bike lane in Newton, which prevents many people who want to bike from doing so, which makes traffic worse. We need to promote biking and walking options for those who want them, including greater consistency in our sidewalks and a more coherent snow removal system.

We need to support our municipal employees. Our teachers and school employees, in particular, must be a priority so that we retain the best people and keep our schools at their current high level.

Housing costs in Newton are extremely high, due to Newton’s desirability and market forces largely beyond our control. But we can't do nothing as longtime residents are being forced to leave due to unaffordable rents. Seniors who would like to sell their homes can’t, because they have nowhere suitable in Newton to move to. Kids who grow up in Newton can’t stay here. Our teachers and firefighters have to live far away.

We must add the types of housing we need, in the places that make sense for the type of community we want to be. That doesn’t mean just sitting back and letting developers come up with plans. It means coming up with our own vision for Newton to remain a place where people of all income levels can live.

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

I have been heavily involved in public policy for over ten years. In my day job as General Counsel and chief policy advisor to State Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler, and through my involvement in numerous civic organizations in Newton and beyond, I have worked hard to build coalitions to pass new laws that make a real positive difference in people’s lives, including women’s reproductive rights, civics education, and criminal justice reform.

I am particularly proud of my role in helping to pass an omnibus environmental bill unanimously in the state Senate (including all seven Republicans). The bill would put a price on carbon for the first time, set ambitious emissions reductions goals, and promote renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

Through these efforts I have learned the value of collaboration and listening to all stakeholders. I also have learned a great deal about which kinds of policies work, which don’t, how both city and state government function, and how to get things done for our community.

What's the best piece of advice you've been given?

My boss, State Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler, likes to say that even when we hear from someone who disagrees with us, we should always treat that person with respect and listen carefully, because that person often has something important to add to the conversation that we haven’t considered. That has always stuck with me and has become a critical part of my process for developing good public policy. I am excited to bring that skill to the City Council.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am running to be a Councilor for all of Ward 2. I’ve knocked on over 5,000 doors so far. If I haven’t met you yet, I hope to soon. If elected, I will always be available to hear your thoughts and concerns about our community, and to help you with any problems I can help with.

There are so many great things about Newton that all of us hope to preserve: beautiful neighborhoods, great schools, a vital civic life, and socioeconomic diversity. At the same time, we can’t just stand still. Some change is inevitable and I believe it is better to manage that change wisely. We can face the challenges ahead and make our city even better while keeping the things we love about it.

Our city’s true richness is in its residents. The people of Ward 2, and all of Newton, are the most engaged, thoughtful people I know. I look forward to working with all of you to make this community we are lucky to call home the best it can be. I hope you will choose to learn more about me on my website at http://www.bryanbarash.com/, where I have detailed my views on a variety of local issues of interest to Ward 2 voters. I ask for your vote and your support on November 5th.

More on Newton Elections:

• Newton Election Calendar 2019: What To Know About Election
• Ward 5 Residents To Head To The Polls Sept. 10
• Humphrey, Winters Win Preliminary Election In Newton’s Ward 5
• Newton Candidate Profile: Kathryn Winters For City Council
• Bryan Barash Announces Candidacy For Newton City