Newton Candidate Profile: David Micley, Ward 2 City Council

NEWTON, MA — Newton's municipal election is coming up on Tuesday, and there are several key city council races on the ballot.

In Ward 2, candidates David Micley and Dan Gaynor are running for the seat being vacated by Emily Norton.

Micley, 35, is a trustee on Newton's pension board, and was previously an elected member of Brookline Town Meeting. Here's how he answered our candidate questionnaire:

Name

David Micley

How old will you be as of Election Day?

35

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://www.davidmicley.org

What city or town do you live in?

Newton

What office are you seeking?

City Councilor, Ward 2

Please give us your party affiliation.

Democrat

Education.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE: Trustee for Newton’s OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits), Board of League of Women Voters of Newton where I hosted The League Presents, Former Brookline Town Meeting Member. EDUCATION: BA, Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture, Emory University; MBA at MIT

What is your occupation?

I have experience in the public, non-profit and private sectors. My first job after college was teaching Israeli History and Civics. I currently work in business development for a digital assets company. Prior to that, I advised sovereign wealth and pension funds at Bridgewater Associates, built education programs in Israel, worked in fundraising for Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and was a community organizer for an affordable housing organization in Dorchester.

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

My wife Molly Chadis and I both grew up in Newton and we returned to Newton to raise our 3 children here, who are the 5th generation of Micleys to call Newton home. My oldest child, Lily, will be starting kindergarten at Mason-Rice next fall.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No one in my family works in politics or government.

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

I served as an elected member of Brookline Town Meeting from 2014-2015.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I am running because I would like to serve my community, and because I believe my skills and experience are well matched to the challenges Newton faces right now. With my MBA and background in finance, I can help scrutinize the city’s finances and ensure we are spending tax dollars wisely. With my background as a teacher, I can be a strong voice for our students and teachers, and ensure our schools get the resources they need to be successful. With my background organizing for affordable housing, I will be a strong voice for truly affordable housing, rather than simply more market rate units. I will have no qualms pushing private developers to do more in terms of affordable units and more opportunities for ownership as well as community benefits such as additional green space.

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 Ward 2 constituents is the quality of our roads. I intend to obtain significantly more funding for road repair and maintenance, as well as communication to affected residents about the timeframe for road repairs, so residents are not blindsided about when they won’t have access to their road or driveway.

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

The biggest difference between myself and my opponent is our respective views on zoning and development. Newton is required under a new state law, the MBTA Communities Act, to zone for at least 8330 units of by-right housing, meaning it can be built without needing a vote of the city council and without public input. That is approximately 25% more housing units than we currently have in Newton. I support complying with the law, but not going beyond that. In contrast my opponent supports zoning for thousands more units than required along with taller "by-right" buildings than I support. I think my opponent’s position gives too much power to developers. I want us to keep that oversight for larger scale projects so we can demand more from developers including more affordability, more ownership opportunities, more protections for our small businesses, and for growth to be spread more evenly across the City.

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

The incumbent, Councilor Emily Norton, is not running for re-election so this is an open seat. That said, I think Councilor Norton has done an especially good job with constituent services and fighting climate change, and I am committed to carry on that legacy in these two areas.

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

Constituent Services
Navigating municipal bureaucracy and city services can be complicated and even intimidating. If elected I will:
Send out a monthly newsletter about events in Newton and what is going on in City Hall
Host monthly public office hours where residents can come talk to me about whatever is on their mind
Release an annual report about votes I’ve taken on the council where I invite feedback from residents
Be accessible through my email and personal cell (617-413-6330) where residents can contact me with feedback, suggestions, or requests for help

Education
The success of our schools is a personal priority - I am a former teacher, my wife worked as a social worker at Bigelow Middle School, and next fall my oldest daughter will be in kindergarten at Mason Rice Elementary School. On the City Council I will:
Advocate for a budget that fully funds our schools to support reasonable class sizes, adequate mental health resources, and an academically rigorous environment for our students
Demand fair salaries for our teachers so we can continue to attract the best and brightest educational talent
Work to ensure NPS is a desired place of learning for all students

Better Streets and Infrastructure
Our streets are in terrible condition due to long term underfunding. Well-paved roads and better-designed intersections are a quality of life and safety issue for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. On the City Council I will:
Support raising the annual funding of our Department of Public Works to ensure they are fully staffed and can more thoroughly and rapidly address potholes and road repair
Support the expansion of pedestrian safety elements such as painted crosswalks
Prioritize the construction of flood-mitigation infrastructure to confront the reality that climate change brings

Responsible Zoning
As I noted above, the state is requiring Newton to zone for 8,330 more housing units around public transportation. I believe we should meet but not exceed the requirement of zoning for 8,330 units and be proud of the steps we’re taking to increase housing opportunities, diversify our housing supply, and make our village centers more vibrant. On the Council I will:
Advocate for new developments to be spread evenly across the city as opposed to concentrating in Newtonville
Retain the City Council’s “Special Permit” power over developers for large scale projects (15,000+ sq. ft) to ensure these projects take into account the views of local residents and preserve what we love about Newton, including green space and the village feel.
Demand clearer and more quantifiable goals and benchmarking in line with this August 11th Zoning memo.

Climate Change
Climate change is an existential crisis and Newton must build on the steps taken by leaders such as Councilor Emily Norton to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and reach net-zero emissions. We must:
Preserve and expand Newton’s green space and tree canopy
Require new construction to be heated and cooled with electricity rather than fossil fuels
Increase the penalty for private developers to cut down old-growth trees
Lobby Beacon Hill to provide more consistent Green Line and commuter rail service
Demand developers include shuttles to public transportation in projects far away from the T or commuter rail

Fiscal Responsibility
As a graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, I will utilize my background in finance to:
Scrutinize the budget to make sure every cent of our tax dollars are spent responsibly
Promote a reasonable balance between commercial and residential development to build out a strong and diversified tax base
Proactively build relationships and attract regional businesses to Newton akin to New Balance in Allston and TripAdvisor in Needham

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

Numerous skills are necessary to be an effective city Councilor. First, being a good listener - not only to my constituents, but also to my colleagues on the City Council, to city staff, and to the Mayor. Second, patience. There are a lot of players with important viewpoints and perspectives, and I believe we will get to the best outcome if we take the time to listen, research the issues, and deliberate. Third, being practical and pragmatic. Fourth, honesty and integrity. There will undoubtedly be times when I have to take a vote that some constituents will like and others won’t, and I will need to communicate with them why I took the stance I did. I have had the opportunity to practice all of these skills in my various past positions as a teacher, as a fundraiser, and as a financial advisor.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My father advised me to give people the benefit of the doubt and always assume people are coming from a place of good intentions until they give you a reason to think otherwise.

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

Thank you to the thousands of Ward 2 residents I’ve met on the campaign trail - you shaped this campaign, sharing your priorities and feedback on what Newton’s doing well and how we can improve. I’m running because I want to be an advocate for you and help Newton deliver better on basic city services. I hope to earn your vote and the opportunity to serve as your Ward Councilor.