Waltham Candidate Profile: Bill Hanley, City Council Ward 2

WALTHAM, MA — Waltham will have several contested races in this fall's election, including for mayor, school committee, at-large city councilors and ward councilors. Waltham Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Bill Hanley, who describes himself as a lifelong Waltham resident is running for Ward 2 City Councilor. He faces off against Carren Dunn.

Hanley's wife Kristie, who was originially from Dedham, teaches at Whittemore Elementary School. Their son Billy is a sophomore at Waltham High School and their son Michael is an eighth grader at Kennedy Middle School. He and his parents and sister are all still Ward 2 residents.

While he was the only one in the family to take up politics, his cousin is a Waltham Police officer and both his wife and mother are public school teachers here.

Hanley graduted from Waltham High and then went on to graduate from Purdue University. Since 1998 he's been an IT Manager for Application Development at Partners Healthcare. In 2006 he was appointed to the city's Board of Health and has held that spot since.

Hanley took some time to answer a few questions. His answers have not been edited.

Previously: Waltham Elections 2019: Here's Who Is Running

Waltham Candidate Nights: Here's When They Are

Are you running for office in Waltham? 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 (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Upcoming construction and development. As the next Ward 2 Councillor, I will focus time and energy on protecting our property and getting us through this storm. Waltham High, 317 apartments on Winter Street and the Piety Corner intersection will all disrupt our lives and impact our property. I will make sure everyone in the Ward is protected and prepared. I’ve already developed a plan and playbook for when these projects begin. Ward 2 residents will be able to use this lean on me for help, solutions and access to information for pre-blast inspections and see schedules of work. Large construction projects cannot be allowed to impact our quality of life and infringe on our property. To be better prepared for these projects, I will implement a simple way to report issues and get assistance and information. Communication and transparency will be the key to get us through the next few years. I humbly ask for your vote on November 5th.

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

I have been involved in the Waltham community and have rich experience volunteering and serving in schools, athletics and city government. I've served on several school principal hiring committees, continue to serve on our City's Board of Health, organized a Waltham parade, and serve as the local little league President. I've also been deeply involved and informed in the Waltham High School project, which will have an enormous impact on our Ward 2 quality of life.

I'm a lifelong resident who wants good government. I attended Waltham Public Schools and have children in Waltham Public Schools. My investment in Waltham is as well-established as my community involvement. I've built strong relationships with Ward 2 residents and business owners that will make me an effective Ward 2 City Councillor able to solve quality of life issues quickly and efficiently. My campaign has been independent and I've not received any financial backing from large developers. I have no outside influences. My only obligation is to the people of Waltham, specifically Ward 2. I humbly ask for your Ward 2 vote on November 5th. Nobody will work harder for you or your family.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)? If you're an incumbent, what is still on your to-do list?

Accessibility, communication and effective and accountable follow-up are traits I bring to the Ward 2 City Council seat. These are bedrock principles in my day job and I would like to bring them to Ward 2. We need a neighborhood city councillor who is focused on Waltham, not national politics or partisan theater. Hobbs Brook development, 40B at Winter Street and Waltham High at 554 Lexington Street will require someone who focuses on our neighborhoods and residents.

That is the City Councillor I will be. A high-energy Ward 2 Councillor focused on making peoples' lives easier through hard work, involvement, focus and experience servicing Waltham. I will develop a collaborative relationship with the Mayor and spend my time on leadership and compromise. My involvement in our youth community also sets me apart in this Ward 2 race. Our schools consume more than half of our city budget and I will keep a close eye on our finances, bond rating and any impact to our city's finances that may impact our envious balance of low taxes and high city services.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

In Ward 2, the coming years will bring disruption to our neighborhoods in the form of large-scale construction projects. Assisting my neighbors with that disruption will take a lot of my time if elected the next Ward 2 City Councillor on November 5th. My other top priorities are completing the Hardy Pond Conservation Area project, increasing recreation opportunities in Ward 2, increasing access and participation in athletics and arts for youth, building strong partnerships with neighborhood businesses, and working to implement a city-wide residential reporting system similar to 311.

What accomplishments would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
After my involvement organizing the recent successful Waltham Parade, I learned what it takes to bring people together and run a successful project in our City. After five years running a 500+ family baseball league, I've learned to work with upset parents and residents and I've seen annual growth as well as financial stability. I've worked with our business community to raise money and sponsorships each year as well as run the day-to-day operations of three parks ni Waltham with three concession stands. I'm proud to say Waltham Youth Baseball is the lowest cost sport in Waltham and we have not raised fees in five years. My work on the City's board of health saw very few restaurants fall out of compliance and we raised the tobacco purchase age to 21, well ahead of the state. Our board of health also worked collaboratively with the police department to develop a licensing plan for bodyworks businesses.

Professionally, I've seen success working for the largest private employer in Massachusetts. I've learned to navigate a large beaurocracy, manage people, large projects using established business processes, budgets and to have difficult conversations. I've become adept at doing more with less to get work done efficiently and on time. I want to build on my long record of involvement and volunteer experience working for Ward 2 and Waltham. I chose to run for CIty Council to Improve our neighborhood and quality of life.

The best advice ever shared with me was...

Focus on your education and family, and everything else falls into place.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I took advantage of everything Waltham had to offer. I got a great education, played sports, was involved in music and theater, and had every chance to succeed. Both of my parents owned Waltham small businesses when I was young, as did both of my grandmothers. They were both very successful professional women and my role models. My parents never missed an event and they showed me that being involved in charities and organizations was how you helped those that were dealt a different hand.

My wife and I struggled to stay in Waltham when it would have been easier to move. It was our best decision. I waited tables to make ends meet and we bought a fixer-upper so we could raise our family in a great neighborhood with great schools. My sons are now my greatest inspiration. I see a different Waltham through their eyes, a better Waltham. I want them to have even better opportunities I had. Waltham needs elected officials that don’t have an agenda or any outside influence. I was not asked or pushed to run for office, I am running to improve the quality of life for my neighbors and my family, and that’s what sets me apart in this Ward 2 race. I humbly ask for your vote on November 5th.

Your social media info (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) My favorite aspect of this city is...

@electhanley, electhanley, facebook.com/electhanley

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Waltham prepares kids for the real world. We have something for everyone who wants to get involved and make positive change, whether it be arts, athletics, job opportunities, volunteer opportunities or open space. When my children enter the workforce, they will be better off because of the diversity of their social circles, their friends and their community.

Best aspect of the city?

Waltham is bursting at the seams with people and projects, both residential and commercial, and our infrastructure cannot handle it. I believe development is healthy for our City, but we need to collectively get our ducks in a row and have a long-term plan. Waltham is in a position of exposure to 40B developments and the proposal for Winter Street is enormous. With collaboration between the mayor, city council, city department heads and the community, we must get a handle on traffic and transportation. With creative ways to move people around our City and making existing housing stock affordable, Waltham can be better prepared and less reactionary to large developments that make no sense for a City like Waltham.

More on Waltham Elections:

• Waltham Mayor Jeannette McCarthy Announces She Will Run
• Possible Challenge To McCarthy's Run For Waltham Mayor
• Waltham Councilor Diane LeBlanc Announces She Will Run
• Waltham Election Calendar: What To Know About Election Season

More Waltham Candidate Profiles

• Heather May - Ward 2
• Sean Durkee - Ward 6
• Robert Logan - Ward 9
• Colleen Bradley-MacArthur - At Large City Council
• Steve Lydon - At Large
• Marisa Diamond - School Committee
• John Graceffa - School Committee
• Jeannette McCarthy- Mayor
• Diane LeBlanc- Mayor
• Tom Stanley, At Large City Councilor