New Challenger Joins Race for Watertown Town Council

A Watertown educator will join the race for the four at-large seats on the Town Council.

Michael Dattoli, who has worked in public and private sectors, most recently running leadership workshops for children in Watertown and surrounding communities.

Councilors can shape the direction of the town, and Dattoli said he would bring a new perspective.

“My aim is to represent our residents by bringing a new voice and added transparency to the council,” Dattoli said.

His top priorities are economic development and education.

“The character of our community, proximity to the nation’s top universities, and excellent public resources make Watertown an extremely attractive location for new and existing businesses,” Dattoli said.  “However, we have yet to utilize vacant town-owned properties such as the two closed libraries and the former police station, all of which have become a hindrance on our town’s aesthetics and a burden on future budgets."

In addition, Dattoli said, Watertown has many areas with continuously empty commercial space or under-utilized land that could be redeveloped into something that would be welcomed by residents.

Having quality schools is important for the town, he said.

“Demand for residential real estate will always rise in relation to a school district’s performance, which benefits the town’s revenue line,” Dattoli said. “Furthermore, investing in our schools creates an opportunity for us to set students up to succeed. Watertown’s population decreased over the last decade, while the number of housing units increased. Those trends do not favor our current property owners, and it is long overdue that we brand our community as one that is truly committed to education.”

Dattoli and his wife Megan chose to live bring their two children up in Watertown, in large part, because of the cultural diversity. 

“When my mother’s family first arrived from Armenia, they chose Watertown to be their home because of the overwhelming sense of community and authentic cultural acceptance," he said. "While Watertown still maintains these qualities today, we must recognize our need to improve collaborative efforts that will increase our town’s desirability to prospective residents.”

Dattoli has worked in both the public and private sectors. First he served as a liaison to health agencies receiving federal funding through a Department of Health and Human Services grant. Later he worked as a training and business consultant for privately-owned sales organizations. Most recently, Dattoli has hosted leadership workshops in Watertown, Belmont and Arlington for elementary-aged and teen-aged students.

Dattoli is the second challenger to officially announce a run for the Town Council. Last week, Paul Fahey kicked off his campaign. 

The current at-large councilors are Steve Corbett, Susan Falkoff, John Donohue and Tony Palomba.