Candidate Profile: Ellen Crowley for Woburn Mayor

WOBURN, MA — Woburn will have a number of contested races in the Nov. 2 municipal election, including a two-candidate race for mayor.

Current School Committee Chair Ellen Crowley is challenging incumbent Mayor Scott Galvin.

Crowley is an attorney and has been on the School Committee since 2014.

Woburn Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Are you running for office in Woburn? Contact Christopher Huffaker at chris.huffaker@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Woburn Patch.

Previously on Patch: Woburn Election 2021: Mayor, Council, School Committee Candidates

Ellen Ann Crowley

Age (as of Election Day)

44

Position Sought

Mayor

Family

Joe Koltun is an attorney and likes to put up lawn signs.

Gabby Koltun is a competitive gymnast and the best daughter a mother could have.

Calvin Koltun is the most kind-hearted, funny kid and loves basketball.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My mother and father are both retired public school teachers. My mother still works as a lunch monitor at the Shamrock Elementary School. My father is a retired School Committee Member.

Education

Graduate of Woburn High School, Class of 1995
Attended Merrimack College, graduated class of 1999
Attended Simmons College for Masters Degree, class of 2001
Attended New England Law for Law Degree, class of 2007

Occupation

Attorney for 14 years (2007-Present)
School Committee Member (2014-Present)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

School Committee Member, Current Chairman Since January 2020

Campaign website

ellenfor01801.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for Mayor to inspire positive change in the City of Woburn. I am running to create a people-centered, transparent government.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

COVID-19 remains a pressing issue that the City faces. As we move into the fall and winter months, the City needs to prepare for a possible surge of positive cases.

The surge of growth in the City and ensuring that the infrastructure and City services are responding to the demand remains a priority.

Developing a sustainable plan for affordable housing and community development remains important to Woburn and any City located in the metropolitan area of Boston.

The lack of out-of-school programming for children and families remains a cost burden and unnecessary stressor for Woburn families.

Poverty, substance use, lack of basic needs, and mental health are also pervasive issues that continue to impact our residents.

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

I am motivated to help people and lead from a place of strength, and I am dedicated to transparency.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I highly disagree with all of the actions that the Mayor has taken with regards to the Woburn Public Library in multiple ways. The past year the Mayor severely limited the autonomy of the Library by usurping the power to hire and fire the Library director, the result of a year-long fumbling of leadership opportunities on the part of the Mayor.

The Mayor has not convened community meetings to discuss the spending and investment in ARPA funds of which Woburn shall receive 12 Million Dollars. So as usual in the business of the City, the City residents remain subject to the whims of a few, if not one person in how public funds — intended for our betterment — are spent. In Woburn the position of Mayor has a considerable amount of authority over the budget and the City as a whole. The power to spend, invest, and create programs is a fundamental aspect of leadership, especially at the local level. The Mayor should invest in housing programs and other programs that promote the wellbeing of the City residents.

As highly publicized, I disagree with the Mayor's approach to the budget process of the school department. I do not think it is fair, right or acceptable for our students to appear at the final hour of the budget process and seek cuts to the school budget without a public, transparent conversation with the School Committee. These cuts hurt children and are the very reason the Malcolm White Elementary School does not have an Assistant Principal.

I believe that in these changing times, we need a Mayor who will understand and communicate with the residents of the City and be able to express a new, positive vision work collaboratively with City departments.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think overall the Mayor navigated the crisis of the COVID-19 Pandemic well. I would not have made the decision to lay off - or attempt to lay off city workers during the pandemic. I would have found ways to support small businesses that suffered during the pandemic. My administration would have been more proactive with making sure residents are connected to resources to prevent eviction during the Pandemic, such as connecting residents to resources for RAFT protections. I would have initiated a comprehensive outreach program for elders that were isolated in their homes. I would have used state resources for contact tracing.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I have studied all the various issues, but I remain dedicated to becoming the most productive, fairest, energetic Mayor this City has ever seen.

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

The best job I have is the mother to Gabs and Calvin. Nothing is more powerful than raising kids and being a mom.

I truly can handle anything.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin." (Saint Theresa of Calcutta)

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

Voters can email me, call me, message me, or catch me on the street as we continue a door-to-door campaign.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.