Special to the Transcript
Joe Aiello has announced his intent to seek election to the Precinct 5 seat of the Town Council. The following is his announcement.
Four years ago, I ran for elective office for the first time. I was delighted to be elected to the Town Council because with retirement behind me, it was time to give back. My wife, Mary Mitchell a former kindergarten teacher, and I moved to Winthrop in 1982. We were welcomed by neighbors and community organizations. We love this Town.
When my children were young, I volunteered in youth sailing, boy scouts, little league baseball etc. That volunteering and engaging with the parents of my children’s classmates created what are now lifelong friendships that have enriched our life.
In my professional life I enjoyed a career in transportation and infrastructure. My technical specialties were program/construction management and finance.
When I first joined the Council, I particularly enjoyed working with the younger Councilors who were exploring new ideas.
We focused on better understanding our aging Town infrastructure. A professional audit revealed that we had been losing about $1 Million/yr of fresh water because of old pipes. Taxpayers were paying that bill. How this $60 million problem had been left festering for such a long time is perplexing. But we have set the Town on a path to fix it.
Another example. Despite being a seaside Town, we never had a real focus on neighborhood flooding and the causes of it (rising seas, old stormwater pipes etc.). We created a climate commission that now has a plan. After decades of inattention. We now know that for the 4 neighborhoods, including the Pico/Fishermen’s Bend neighborhood, currently most impacted, we’ll have to invest about $70 million. These liabilities and more mean that the Town balance sheet is in deep trouble.
We need to move toward a better tomorrow. We need to find outside sources of money ( state and federal) to fix these problems, continue to improve our schools and other needs. This is a very serious matter. Our public health and safety, our homes and our affordability are all at risk.
There is some good news in all this. The younger Councilors understand coalition building and its potential benefits. By example Hannah Belcher worked with Lynn, Quincy and Boston to insist on better ferry service for all. After 20 years of complaining that the Town run ferry was too costly and unreliable we finally have an MBTA system that runs frequently and direct into Boston. The T has spare boats so if one boat has troubles they have a substitute. We don’t pay the T an extra penny for this service and save the estimated $200,000 per year it cost to operate and maintain our ferry. A win for our pocketbooks and a benefit for residents.
We can and must do more of this. With new energy next year I am convinced we can hold the line on taxes and find innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for everyone in this Town. I ask for your vote.