Wakefield Advocate - Tony Longo

Citizens of Wakefield, thank you for your support. I’ve helped make Wakefield a better place for all when my time as a Councilor comes to an end Which we need.

In 1974, my family moved to Wakefield and I attended the Greenwood, Atwell, Galvin Schools, and graduated from Wakefield Memorial High School. I attended Merrimack College and graduated with a BA in Political Science. In 1999, I married former WHS classmate Linda (Rhodes) Longo and we moved back to Wakefield in 2000, where we are raising our 12 year old daughter. I have been appointed by the Board

of Selectman 3 times over the last 7 years to serve on the Recreation Commission. During that time, we have created a Department that is the envy of our neighboring towns. We saw our revolving funds go from $15,000 in 2009 to $95,000 in 2016, money that is either returned to the Town or reinvested. Serving on the Recreation Commission has allowed me the experiences to work with and collaborate with other Town Boards. I’ve gotten my hands dirty in participating in the “Community Build” projects in building the new playgrounds at Mapleway and JJ Round. I was selected to sit on the special committee for the design and construction of the new athletic facilities at Wakefield Memorial High School. This is one the largest capital improvement projects for the Town in the last 10 years. That experience will be needed if the Town votes to renovate or build a new High School or renovate the Walton and Greenwood Schools. I’ve put forth a tax incentive plan on the WCAT debate that if property owners choose to improve their property to attract businesses, they would have their taxes frozen for a period 3-5 years. The length of time for the incentive would depend on the scope and scale of the project, such as the overall dollar value of the project and square footage. This would encourage property owners to take on larger, more ambitious projects and improvements. After the grace period ends, the actual assessment of the property would be gradually phased in over a set period of years. This plan costs the Town nothing. The benefit is the additional revenue from these improvements and a revitalized downtown. This new revenue can help offset the cost of any new educational facilities which are badly needed. There is an opiate program not only in our town, but all over New England, we should collaborate with our neighbors to solve this. And I am currently working with our State Representative on solutions, I’m not just talking about it. I’ve asked Don Wong to look into legislation that would make it illegal for anyone under 18 to purchase caffeine pills. There’s no reason that my 12 year old daughter should be able to purchase these. Many of you know me by my involvement and participation in some of the Wakefield Youth Sport programs, specifically Wakefield Basketball Association and volunteer work with Wakefield Soccer Association. I’ve greatly enjoyed watching our children grow up in a Town we love. Wakefield’s heart is huge, I saw it 2 ½ years ago when I faced the challenge of my life. There is work to be done downtown, schools buildings need improvements, our youth are having opioid issues, I have the experience, I have the involvement and I have the vision to keep that heart beating. And so on April 26, please vote for Tony Longo.

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Our Story

Three years ago, Wakefield was a pretty good place to live, today it’s a better place.

· We’ve improved the Walton school

· Occupancy rates downtown have gone up, The Public Kitchen was not there 3 years ago

· Greenwood is thriving with new shops and restaurants

· There have been improvements to our parks and Fields,

· We have a rail to trail opening soon,

More importantly, our fiscal picture is strong. Town council, working collaboratively with the town administrator and other boards, have kept our AAA bond rating. We can finance projects at lower rates than many of our neighbors

Neighboring communities such as Melrose in Reading are calling for proposition 2 1/2 overrides to pay their bills. In Wakefield we have opted not to go up for fall 2 1/2% in property tax rate the past three years, thus Saving homeowners hundreds of dollars in their tax bills.

But there is still work to be done :

· we need to have more responsible growth in town as more and more people want to move here. We have to look at how these projects will impact our schools and infrastructure

· Opioids and other drugs continue to ruin too many lives.

· And something needs to get done at the high school whether he renovate or rebuild the structure we need to do it soon and we need to do it in a fiscally responsible manner, with getting the state to fund as much of the project as possible. Just like they are going to do with a new floor in the Civic Center gym. A project that this Council accomplished in working with our State Legislators.

Again I don’t want to take up too much of your time and I look forward to your support on April 23.

I’m also hoping that you can support my partners on the town Council Peter May and Ann Santos.

Again, Thank you and for your support tonight and have a great night. Go Patriots
And so on April 23, please vote for Tony Longo.

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Wakefield

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Wakefield, MA
01880