Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/government/)
Charlie Breitrose
All voters in Watertown will have three contested races to vote in, selecting members of the City Council, the School Committee, and the Board of Library Trustees. Residents of District C will also be casting votes for their district City Councilor. The Watertown Municipal Election takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Half the polling locations have changed in 2025. See more details below.
By Linda ScottWatertown Resident
Because There are No Kings…
I’d like to comment on the way people conduct themselves when running for office. Hundreds of Watertown residents were in the Delta a few weekends ago, proclaiming that there should be no kings in the United States, that rules are for everyone! I believe that it’s important to take that into consideration when making our very important choices. Here’s an example:
I had heard rumblings of candidates for City Council, School Committee and Library Trustee skirting the election rules that are clearly spelled out in the election information available to them when they sign up. I contacted Noelle Gilligan, our City Clerk and Chief Election Officer, to ask about any rules that apply to those who submit papers to run for a city office.
Watertown Middle School (Courtesy of Watertown Public Schools)
The City Council drilled down on what factors would determine whether to do a full renovation/rebuild of Watertown Middle School, or to do more basic repairs now and a bigger project later. After more than two hours of deliberation on Tuesday night Councilors had not made a decision and some key questions remain unanswered. The City Council heard from City and school officials, as well as Watertown’s project management firm for school building projects. City Manager George Proakis outlined the financial implications of each option, and some of the hurdles that lay in the paths of even the lowest cost options. In 2024, the City Council had a similar discussion, and decided to make a new Middle School a priority.
My name is John Gannon, and for three terms, I’ve had the honor of representing Watertown as your city councilor at-large. I’m now running for re-election this coming Tuesday, November 4. I was inspired to a career in public service by my family, teachers, coaches and members of this welcoming community. I grew up in Watertown and developed my own life here. My father, a partially-disabled WWII veteran, worked at the Watertown post office, delivering mail to our neighbors, and my mother, a first-generation American, worked as a secretary.
Yesterday I received a second postcard from the MTA. They appear to have a lot of money to burn on their candidate endorsements. For those who are unfamiliar with the MTA’s agenda, please review the 2025 Watertown Educators Association Candidate Questionnaire and the support materials at:https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/e/1FAIpQLSf30p8erVdxVlgShgKeq2ljGBj8GVqvHyCm4lvmMY6Q78J5tQ/viewform?usp=preview&urp=gmail_link&pli=1
I am curious – How many MTA members work in our schools, and how many of them live in Watertown? Could someone from the MTA or WEA provide an answer to this question? IMO, there is an information gap regarding the support for our public schools in Watertown.
Dear Watertown!
As the youngest of four kids , I’ve spent my whole life watching my mom, Amy Donohue, give her time and energy to the Watertown Public Schools. Education has always been number one in our house, whether it was volunteering on the PTO, helping with the Watertown Education Foundation events, or donating to every youth group and sports team you can think of. When I was younger, I used to roll my eyes because she seemed to know everyone. Every teacher, every coach, every parent.
Charlie BreitroseWatertown residents cast their ballots at Watertown City Hall, the site of early voting for the 2025 Watertown Eleciton. The Watertown City Election takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, but registered voters can participate in Early In-Person Voting at City Hall beginning Tuesday, Oct. 28. Races include City Councilor At-Large, District C City Council, School Committee, and Library Trustees.
Watertown City Hall
The City Council will have at least one new member after the 2025 Watertown Election. Voters have multiple choices for City Councilor At-Large and in District C. Watertown News reached out to the candidates in the contested races. See the Candidate Q&As, below. With Councilor John Airasian not seeking reelection, there will be at least one new Councilor At-Large. Voters can choose four candidates in the Municipal Election.
Andres Guzman
Why do you want to represent District C on the City Council? I would like to represent District C because I felt we weren’t being heard during the Watertown Square Redesign process particularly in regard to traffic and public transportation improvements that were provided as options at the time. My goal is to advocate for improving public transportation, especially on the 71 bus by building a partial busway to help improve throughput and station access/quality. I also want Watertown to get more serious about building-out our bike network with quality infrastructure not just some lines of paint on the road with no sort of barrier, that’s not conducive to the safety of children, teens, and elderly riders. I also believe I can be a voice to help expand the level of affordable housing people have access to, ultimately helping elevate our housing crisis as referenced in my WCA-TV debate.
