It’s time to end decades of underfunding and invest in Medford’s schools, streets, and a new Fire Headquarters.

Dear neighbors,

In two weeks, Medford voters will decide the direction of our city – do we end decades of underfunding of our public schools and city government by voting YES on Questions 6, 7, and 8? Or do we continue the slow bleeding of cut after cut after cut because revenue growth doesn’t keep up with rapidly escalating costs it takes to run the city.

I’m voting YES on 6, 7, and 8 because it’s the right thing for Medford’s future. Medford kids and families deserve to learn in classrooms with well-paid educators and reasonable class sizes. Medford firefighters deserve a safe, state-of-the-art Fire Headquarters to replace the current failing and inadequate building. All of us deserve better maintained streets and sidewalks where we feel safe to drive, walk, bike, and roll.

For the past five years, I’ve served as your city councilor with the fundamental goal of building a better community for everyone. Over the last three budget cycles, it’s been made crystal clear that our city can’t move forward without new, permanent, and sustainable revenue generated by property tax overrides to fund our schools and a permanent DPW street crew and a temporary debt exclusion for our biggest on-budget capital expense, the new Fire Headquarters.

The math is clear – Medford needs more money to provide school and city services. Medford’s per capita spending ranks 92nd out of 97 cities and towns in Massachusetts with populations over 20,000, and 295th out of all 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts. In 2024, Medford spent only $3,152 annually per resident, which is only 65.8% of the average of $4,788 spent in other communities with at least 20,000 residents.

It’s never easy for local elected officials to ask their neighbors to raise our taxes, and I don’t take this request lightly. It comes after over two years and dozens of meetings that have laid bare the deep need for these ballot questions and an unimpeachable body of evidence that Medford lags behind almost every other city and town in the state when it comes to our budget. I encourage you to dig deeper into the data through the FAQ page on the Invest in Medford website.

Please vote YES on Questions 6, 7, and 8 on or before Tuesday, November 5th. Mail ballots have been distributed. Early Voting is occurring at City Hall through next Friday, November 1st during business hours. Polling locations will be open from 7AM to 8PM on Tuesday, November 5th.

Let’s build a better future for Medford together by voting YES on Questions 6, 7, and 8 to Invest in Medford!

Sincerely,

Zac Bears
President
Medford City Council