In addition to four Councilors At-Large, Lynn voters will have the opportunity to elect a ward councilor this fall. Natasha Megie-Maddrey is running against long-term incumbent Richard Colucci in the Ward 4 Councilor race this year. Megie-Maddrey is an attorney who has been involved in a number of activities in the city including organizing around public education.
Here she responded to a few questions regarding her candidacy for City Council.
Thanks for chatting with me, Natasha! You are running for Ward 4 City Councilor but this is not your first campaign for the position. Why did you make the decision to run for City Council again this year?
I decided to run for City Council in my Ward again because I believe that all residents of Ward 4 are not being represented. I have talked to several residents who have lived in the Ward for a long time and don’t know who their Councilor is. Walking around Ward 4 you see the differences in the different parts of the Ward. I believe that the entire Ward should be beautiful and not just part of it. We don’t have Ward meetings and we need more opportunities for neighbors to get to know each other better.
Give us a sense of your campaign efforts thus far. How have you been getting your message out to Ward 4 voters and how do you plan to continue to connect with the ward going into the November general election?
Since pulling papers in March, I have been out every day engaging with voters. I have knocked on countless doors and have had a lot of conversations with people who have lots of concerns. People have concerns about the violence in the neighborhood, the drugs, the speeding, the trash, and the rising cost of taxes, to name a few. I have also been fundraising in order to be able to reach more voters. Our team will continue to knock on doors every day as well as hold virtual phone banks, and hold sign visibilities. If you would like to volunteer we would love your help, please fill out this form. https://forms.gle/1JASnB2MSizUVYJcA
Housing continues to be an issue in Lynn now in terms of people facing eviction or having trouble affording housing costs related to the pandemic in addition to previous questions about gentrification and displacement. What is your stance on the housing issue in Lynn? How would you propose addressing this issue?
The housing issue in Lynn is a crisis that needs to be addressed. I would advocate to implement the Housing plan that was developed. We need to make sure that those that currently live in Lynn are not being forced out. The pandemic showed us that we have a lot of inequalities in our city. There are so many people who are living in overcrowded apartments, the reason for this is because of the increasing cost of rent. We have gorgeous new developments being built, but these apartments do not have any affordable units, and most of our residents can’t afford to live in them. All new development that comes into our city should have at least 20 percent be designated as affordable units. We also need to make sure that all of these new developments have CBA agreements (community benefits agreements) which basically means that all the money that the developers make, they need to give a percentage back to help the community. I also would like to see more programs for our young adults to be able to purchase homes. This is the best way for us to build generational wealth for our children. My daughter is currently 22 and looking for her own apartment but the apartments in Lynn are just too expensive. We need to make Lynn a place where we can all thrive and live a prosperous life. We can do better if we all work together. No one should have to live in fear of being priced out of a city they call home.
When we worked together with Lynn Parents Organizing for a Better Education, we had a number of conversations about community schools. How do you think the city can work better with existing schools, nonprofits and other community organizations to better support and provide resources to residents?
I believe we should have community schools. The schools belong to us, and they should be available to the community at large. Schools should be a place where adults can take ESL classes, where you can learn a trade, and where we can also network. As far as all the non profits in Lynn, we have over 300 nonprofits in our city. The problem is most of them don’t talk to each other. I would love for Lynn to invest in Community Mapping. This would basically mean that we connect all the nonprofits together on a virtual map, where it would be easy for someone to find whatever services they need. Once we have a Lynn Community Map, I think we should also have a Ward Specific map that people could opt into. If you are plumber, or a carpenter you could be put on this list, and then when someone is looking for a plumber they could easily see on the Ward map where all the plumbers are and easily contact one of their neighbors. Our city has so many talented people, and we need to make it easier for us to connect a need with a qualified person.
There’s been a lot more focus in the past year on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. What populations or areas of the city do you see as currently being underserved and in need of greater representation in terms of having their voices heard during decision making processes?
All of Lynn is currently being underserved. Our city is full of diversity, and when you look at our elected officials the diversity is clearly lacking. Take a look at Ward 4, in 2019 only 12 percent of those who were registered to vote actually voted. This is a huge problem in my opinion. I think part of the problem is the voting locations. In Ward 4 there is only one polling location, and this location is very inconvenient for someone who lives in the Highlands for example. We need to have more than one polling loation in every ward. In Ward 1 there are 3 polling locations and as a result, they have the highest voter turnout. We need to make it easier for people in Lynn to vote. We need to elect new people that have new ideas and would bring better representation to city hall. All of Ward 4 needs to come out and vote on both September 14th and November 2nd.
Finally, what skills and experiences make you most suited for the City Council? Why should Lynn residents consider your candidacy for Ward 4 City Councilor this fall?
I was the first in my family to attend a 4 year college and obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. I then went on to obtain my JD from New England School of Law. I believe that my license to practice law makes me uniquely qualified to be a city Councilor. I am also easily accessible and if I am not able to solve your problem I will help direct you to someone that can. I care deeply for this city and all the people who live here. I want to see our city continue to thrive and prosper and be the best it can be. If you would like to learn more about me, please find more information at www.natashaforlynn.com, cell phone 617-755-3853 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TeamMegieMaddrey
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The Lynn municipal primary will be held on Tuesday, September 14th and the general election on Tuesday, November 2nd.
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