Councilor Edwards announces re-election campaign

Special to the Times

Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards has announced she will be seeking re-election in the fall to the District One seat.

“I’m humbly re-submitting my application for employment as city councilor to the residents of District One,” said Councilor Edwards. “Representing them for the last three years has been the honor of a lifetime. I’m excited for the opportunity to continue serving in this role.”

Councilor Edwards pledged to continue bringing transparency, accountability, and efficiency to local government.

“Now more than ever people need to trust local government,” added Councilor Edwards. “But they can’t trust us if they don’t see us working or they don’t know what services are available. My goal is to make city government transparent and accessible for everyone regardless of what language they speak or how much money they make.”

Councilor Edwards also plans to continue leading on the issue of housing.

“I’m working to help families stay where they are,” said Councilor Edwards. “Housing has to be available for all Bostonians. I’m proud to have written a first-in-the-nation zoning amendment that will bring in more family sized units to new developments and make sure affordable housing is actually affordable for more people.”

Edwards is working to improve local government by reforming the city’s budget process and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

“I filed a proposal that will allow Boston voters to decide how the city’s budget process should play out,” said Councilor Edwards. “Right now it happens behind closed doors. I want to change things so residents can see me and the rest of the council working on the budget. The proposal will also give people more of a voice over how their tax dollars are spent.”

“Residents across the district have reached out to me about development projects in their neighborhood. The process isn’t working for everyone,” added Councilor Edwards. “I filed reforms that now allow residents to track projects near them. Soon they’ll be able to see the actual plans online. We still need to improve language access, strengthen conflict of interest protections, and make it easier for people to speak during the hearings.”

In East Boston, Edwards pointed to the Suffolk Downs project as a top priority over the past few years and highlighted major wins for the community during her negotiations with the developers.

“Suffolk Downs is the largest private development in Boston’s history. We need to make sure that it’s an inclusive and welcoming part of the neighborhood,” said Councilor Edwards. “I’m proud to have fought for an increase in the amount of affordable housing and family sized units. I’m also excited about the creation of a housing stabilization fund that will help create and preserve affordable housing in East Boston that will be controlled by Eastie residents.”

Edwards also highlighted her support of local activists fighting against a proposal to build a substation in the heart of Eagle Hill.

“I’m proud to be standing shoulder to shoulder with activists against the proposed substation,” said Councilor Edwards. “I am proud of the activists and organizers who are continuing the legacy of the Maverick Street Mothers by fighting against environmental justices in their neighborhood.”

Edwards’ re-election campaign will officially launch during a virtual campaign event on February 26. Residents can register for the event by visiting bit.ly/EdwardsKickoff2021.

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