Town Councilor Candidates Talk About Their Priorities

Town Council at-large candidates shared their views during the League of Women Voters Candidate Forum on Sunday at the Watertown Free Public Library.

Four seats are up for election during the Nov. 5 Town Election. See some of the highlights.

(The order was picked at random).

Paul Fahey, who served on the Council in the 1980s, said he is not afraid to put anything on the table, including an override, to see if it makes sense. Ultimately the decision on that would be up to the voters of Watertown. His top priorities are public safety, public works and education.

Tony Palomba, an incumbent said he wants to make the Council and town administration more responsive by holding a series of forums with the public on issues such as taxes, assessment and community development. His top priorities are education, recreation, public safety and social services.

Michael Dattoli said he thinks the town has taken the wrong path to pay for the Victory Field renovation by charging fees for youth sports teams and the proposal to put up a 100-foot cell tower and leasing space on it. To be effective leaders the Council needs to communicate better.

Steve Corbett said he has the experience of serving on a Council that has avoided overrides and maintaining a balanced budget. He would not want to cut the budgets for departments, but rather find more efficient ways to do things, such as the $300,000 saved by starting a new recycling system.

Incumbent John Donohue said the current Council’s has been able to balance the budget during the economic downturn without having a Proposition 2 ½ override tax increase. He said he opposes an override because it would hurt seniors. He said he would not want to take from one department to add to another.

Aaron Dushku, who grew up in town and serves on the Stormwater Advisory Committee, said he wants to preserve the community, improve the public schools and focus on the environment. He would not want to take from one department to give to another.

Susan Falkoff, an incumbent, said she prides herself in having a good working relationship with others on the council, being open in her decision making and considering to all sides when making a decision. She would not want favor one service over the other, instead look for ways to improve services and do it more efficiently.

Colin Wehrung, whose name is on the ballot, was not present at the debate.

Find candidates websites by clicking here.

Follow Patch for more on the candidate debates, and click here to see the story on the Watertown Education Foundation's School Committee Debate.