4 Questions with Elizabeth Kowal

Elizabeth Kowal is running for city council as an At-Large candidate. She reached out to us and was gracious enough to offer answers to questions we might have. Below is our Q&A. It was done over email and, with exception of style and formatting, nothing has been edited.

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1) One of the issues on your website is Responsible Housing Development.  While increasing housing brings people who pay property tax, they also use city services. Where do you stand on attracting more commercial business to Melrose (where would they go?) or do you see other paths of tax revenue that doesn’t also stress city services as much as new residents?

Commercial tax revenue would ease some of the burden carried by Melrose property owners. However, we don’t have a lot of commercial space in Melrose, and most residents, including me, would not support big box stores coming in. Responsible Housing Development will welcome new neighbors into town and offer a wider range of housing options so that we can maintain some socioeconomic diversity and keep Melrose a city with homes for all stages of life. New housing developments with commercial space on the ground floor would be advantageous, but there is only so much control the city has over what a private developer is going to do with space. 

Finding new paths to tax revenue for Melrose is one of the biggest challenges we face, and one of things I look forward to exploring with the Council. The City Council can make progress in this area, but to succeed, we must rehire an Economic Development Director to work with the Chamber of Commerce.  The Economic Development Director’s job is to grow the local economy in ways that:

·         Expand the tax base (so residents aren’t overburdened),

·         Create good, sustainable jobs, and

·         Strengthen the community’s long-term economic resilience.

They serve as the bridge between City Hall, businesses, developers, regional agencies, and residents. Investing in this position will position Melrose for thoughtful growth and support the Council to make sound decisions about the future of the city.

Another avenue to keep Melrose fiscally sound is to bring in grants, partnerships and external funding. To do this, we need to invest in a city employee responsible for researching and applying for, for example, federal and state grants (especially for infrastructure, housing, climate, or workforce development) and philanthropic partnerships with local foundations or anchor institutions, like hospitals or universities.

Finally (and my list is by no means exhaustive, but just some starting points for discussion and action), we need to generate income from what the city already owns.  For example, leasing city property or air rights — e.g., for cell towers, solar installations, outdoor dining, or pop-up retail; developing city land through ground leases (city retains ownership but earns lease revenue); and renting unused municipal buildings for events, office space, or co-working hubs (Memorial Hall, for example, or the soon to be vacant police station).  Working with what our city already has and engaging experts to focus on these important issues could reveal solutions to this pressing issue. 

2) You are a commissioner on the Melrose Human Rights Commission. How do you see your work with MHRC intersecting with being a city council candidate, if at all? 

Both the MHRC and the Council are ultimately responsible for protecting residents’ rights and promoting fairness in city governance. The City Council sets policy and budget priorities that affect equity ( for example, housing, policing, access to services) and the Human Rights Commission brings community insight, accountability, and expertise on discrimination, inclusion, and human rights principles. While the Council is the legislative body of the city--setting ordinances and approving budgets, the Councilors should be the eyes and ears of the community. They will most likely hear of any equity or discriminatory concerns in their ward before it gets to HRC.  A large part of a Councilor's role should be spent listening and making connections in the community, which lets the city get ahead of any issues that might be brewing.  That is what I have done my entire professional career---as an employment lawyer, and an HR executive--I listen and I problem solve. 

  I wanted to be on the Melrose Human Rights Commission because I wanted to do more for more people here.  The same feeling applies as to why I'm running for Councilor-At-Large. The skills that make me a strong human rights commissioner will also make me a strong Councilor-At-Large.  I will listen, I will ask questions, I will follow up and follow through.  People need to feel heard and respected. Many people right now are feeling anxious or scared.  My job as a Councilor would be to listen and help when and where I can.  I can't always promise that I will have an answer or be able to fix every concern, but I certainly will try.  Anyone who has ever worked with me or been part of my life as a friend or neighbor will tell you that I am always available to listen and advise (if asked) and that my instinct is always to try to find a way to help.  That is how I operate on the Human Rights Commission and if I am lucky enough to get elected to the City Council, it is how I will continue to operate. 

3) Your profile in the Melrose Messenger says: “Specifically, Kowal sees a gap in communication. “From what I’ve been involved in,” she said, “the information is not flowing down to people, and it leaves people with a sense of things happening to them instead of being a part of it. And I think that it’s the city councilor’s job to forge that communication pathway.”  If elected, what communication pathways can you commit to adopting/implementing to be accessible?

One of the reasons I am running now is that I am at a point in my life where I can devote a lot of time to the responsibilities of the Council. I also want to devote a lot of time to the Council because I want to be of service to the people of Melrose. And to me, there is nothing more important than communicating with the people of Melrose. There is a reason that I use the words accountability, visibility and communication as part of my campaign.  They are not just words to me, they are at the core of who I am.  If I have the honor of being elected to the Council, I plan to be accountable to the people who put their trust in me.  I will be visible and show up to the conversation, even if it's hard.  In terms of specific things I have in mind:  I will have bi-weekly "office hours" (one before working hours and one after working hours); I will attend school and community events so that I am visible and available for people to ask me questions or just chat; I will maintain my website and update it with information including a short policy explainers and also include a section outlining concerns that came to either me personally or the Council and how they were resolved.  

4) Reading about your perspective on some of the recent decisions, perhaps, not receiving enough diligence, scrutiny, or public input, are there any specific mechanisms you can advocate to the council that can ensure voices are heard without solutions being mired in constant discussion?

Diligence doesn’t have to mean delay — it means structuring your process so information, input, and debate happen early, efficiently, and transparently.  Effective governance requires a balance between thorough deliberation and efficient action. When discussions drag or information is incomplete, public trust and productivity suffer.  However, when decisions move too quickly, residents may feel unheard or uncertain about the reasoning behind council actions.  I also haven't been on the Council, so I can't speak to their process, but I think what this goes back to communication.  It is entirely possible that in the situation I was involved with the Council had discussed the situation and decided to vote without further public debate and discussion.  But those of us who were advocating for a different decision were left in the dark.  It was not even clear to us what we could ask the Council for, it was all very confusing and frustrating.  We need to make the process clearer so that people can understand what the Council can and cannot do. 

  I can't speak or make promises for everyone on the Council, but I can promise that I believe residents deserve to understand how their city works, how decisions are made, and how to get help when they need it. I will communicate regularly, share information openly, and make sure you know where to turn for answers or support. My goal is to make local government more accessible and transparent—because when people are informed and involved, our city is stronger.