Somerville Candidate Profile: Jake Wilson For City Council

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

Here, we learn more about Jake Wilson, who is running for councilor at large on the Somerville City Council. Wilson is an incumbent and among five candidates on the ballot for four at-large seats on the council. Also running are incumbents Willie Burnley Jr., Charlotte Kelly and Kristen Strezo. Will Mbah is the lone challenger.

Though Charlotte Kelley is on the ballot, she announced last month that she will not serve a second term.

Wilson, who first was elected in 2021, considers himself an "outgoing extrovert who enjoys solving problems."

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Jake Wilson

How old will you be as of Election Day?

46

Campaign website

https://www.jakeforsomerville....

What city or town do you live in?

Somerville, MA

What office are you seeking?

City councilor at large

Education

Bachelor of Arts in English, University of Pennsylvania (1999)

Occupation

City councilor at large (two years)

Family

Catherine (wife, works in biotech in Kendall Square)
Ingrid (daughter, age 12, attends Healey School)
Margot (daughter, age 9, attends Healey School)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

N/A

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

City councilor at large (elected 2021, in office 2022 to present)

Why are you seeking this office?

I've loved the opportunity to work for the people of Somerville since January 2022. As an outgoing extrovert who enjoys solving problems, work that largely consists of talking to people and tackling issues creatively is right up my alley. I believe it is our duty as city councilors to provide constituents services while delivering on policies that make the city better. I'm also using the office to help increase awareness throughout Somerville of what's happening in our city.

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 my constituents is our twin housing affordability and housing stability crises. During my time on the council, I've spent countless hours engaging with the community extensively on large-scale new developments that will create a considerable number of new affordable housing units throughout the city, including but not limited to 299 Broadway (the old Star Market site in Winter Hill) and 90 Washington St. (the former Cobble Hill Plaza). I've also championed 100-percent affordable developments at 24 Webster Ave. I back density bonuses for developers who are willing to go above our 20-percent affordable housing inclusionary requirement, and I support upzoning across the city to make dense, transit-oriented development — and an increased number of affordable housing units — possible here in Somerville. I want to see us re-legalize triple deckers here. And I'm also working on a program to incentivize affordable rentals and have advocated for additional funding for our Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

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

I'm focused on myself and my own campaign, so I will just say that I am committed to the job, missing just one total regular meeting or committee meeting in nearly two years. That single absence happened when I had two committee meetings scheduled simultaneously, and I still submitted questions for the committee chair to ask on my behalf and went back and watched the recording of the meeting.

I pride myself on being available to constituents to answer questions or help. I respond to emails, calls and social media messages. I show up at community events and am extremely accessible via my weekly office hours and on-demand office hours that allow constituents to schedule time to meet with me that works for their calendars.

It's a personal mission of mine to do what I can to make Somervillians aware of what's going on their city. Through my regular newsletters and use of social media, I'm doing what I can to improve communication, public information, and civic engagement.

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

I'm a tireless advocate for making our streets safer. We've seen too many people killed or injured while navigating our streets. Getting around one's city shouldn't be a high-risk activity. So I've sponsored or co-sponsored countless council orders requesting street safety improvements and I'll continue loudly backing these initiatives.

Prior to my work on the council, I ran a local youth nonprofit where I did a lot to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Somerville is a city that prides itself on valuing diversity, so it's important to make sure these are more than words and that we're walking the walk. I support language justice and outreach efforts to ensure that everyone here is as aware of and involved in public meetings and processes as their lives allow them to be.

Also, as a small business owner myself and the spouse of a fellow small business owner, I'm a champion of our local small businesses. Whether it's helping out with a licensing or permitting issue or making sure restaurant owners know about the option to stay open later, I try to engage regularly with small business owners. We need a thriving local business community, as small businesses keep money in our city.

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

My performance in the role is my strongest argument for reelection. I treat everyone with respect and I relentlessly pursue solutions for problems large and small. I'm detail oriented and I think about municipal government for the vast majority of hours that I'm awake. As chair of the City Council's Finance Committee, I've engineered new processes and optimized existing processes to carry out the important work of financial oversight in an efficient, productive and humane way. If someone wants to know more about me, I would encourage them to ask their favorite local elected official or City employee about me.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My grandmother was fond of saying: "A thing worth doing is worth doing well."

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

I genuinely care about the people and small businesses of this city and am thrilled to work for you to make Somerville all it can be. I'd be honored to get the opportunity to serve you for another two years.