Meet Waltham Council Candidate Bill Hanley

WALTHAM, MA — Local elections in Waltham are less than a month away, and Patch is determined to help residents get to know their candidates for council, mayor and school committee.

Patch has sent candidate questionnaires to each of the candidates that will appear on the ballot in a contested race for each of those three positions.

Bill Hanley is running for the contested Ward 3 seat.

Hanley said he's been "serving and supporting Waltham in public health, schools, youth sports and have organized and run community events and now I want to represent my Ward 3 neighbors on the city council."

Get to know him more below:

Name

Bill Hanley

How old will you be as of Election Day?

49

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

http://www.HanleyForWard3.com/

What city or town do you live in?

Waltham, MA

What office are you seeking?

Ward 3 City Councillor

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Ward 3

Please give us your party affiliation.

Independent

Education.

Waltham High 1992, Purdue University 1996

What is your occupation?

Healthcare IT Manager

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

My wife Kristie is the library teacher at Whittemore Elementary School and we have two sons. Billy graduated from Waltham High in 2022 and is a sophomore studying business and finance at UNH. Michael is a senior at Waltham High School. Kristie's mother Nancy recently moved in with us making our Waltham home multi-generational.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My mother, Linda, is a recently retired Waltham educator.

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

I was appointed to Waltham's Board of Health in 2006.

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 have been serving and supporting Waltham in public health, schools, youth sports and have organized and run community events and now I want to represent my Ward 3 neighbors on the city council. The driving forces of my campaign are constituent service, accessibility and access, keeping our residential taxes low with fiscal responsibility, and protecting our neighborhoods from developments like the Lexington solar farm.

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

Sidewalk and pedestrian safety and protecting our single-family neighborhoods.

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

I have the time and drive to collaborate, communicate and compromise. Constituent service is an area of focus and one where I have experience. I've been a manager of people and projects for 15 years and want to put that experience to work.

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

Sidewalk repair and construction, finally deal with private ways in Waltham, traffic mitigation and safety, open space protection, fiscal responsibility and investment in our neighborhoods.

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

• Community Involvement & Volunteer Work
• City of Waltham Board of Health, 2006-present
• Board Member, Waltham Education and Beyond Foundation
• Board Member, Waltham Museum
• Board Member, Waltham Lions Club
• Past President, Waltham Youth Baseball, 2012-21
• Past President, Waltham Gridiron Foundation, 2019-22
• Member, Waltham Land Trust
• Community and Neighborhood Liaison to Waltham School Building Committee, 2020-21
• Treasurer, Waltham 135th Anniversary Parade Committee, 2019
• Waltham High School Principal Screening Committee 2018-19
• Waltham High School Associate Principal Screening Committee, 2019
• Waltham High School Class of 2022 Parent Advisory Board
• Former Member, Waltham Schools Technology Advisory Council
• Former Coach, Kennedy Middle School Baseball
• Former Coach, Waltham YBA Basketball
• Former Coach, Waltham Youth Soccer
• Former Coach, Waltham Police Athletic League Basketball

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Before you speak, you should have listened and thought about your reply.

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

I have always worked to improve our city and quality of life, whether it be coaching or organizing youth sports, fundraising, organizing parades, volunteering on non-profit boards or school principal selection committees. I now want to take my service to Waltham a step further, serve Ward 3 on the City Council, and stand up for our neighborhoods with an active, forward-thinking voice.