Watertown News (https://www.watertownmanews.com/category/government/)
Charlie BreitroseWatertown residents cast their ballots at Watertown City Hall. The General City Election will be Nov. 4, 2025. Residents planning to run for elected office in Watertown in 2025 will be able to take out papers in the beginning of June, and will have to get the signatures to the City Clerk by mid-July to run in the 2025 City Election, which will take place on Nov. 4.
On April 22, 2025, the City Council voted to approve funding for capital projects, heard from the City Manager about the City logo, heard about the re-organization plan, set limits for revolving funds, and supported a bill on Beacon Hill about Community Media Programming. See the highlights of the meeting provided by Municipal Policy Analyst Doug Newton. City Council Newsletter
Please see below for the city council’s newsletter for its meeting on April 22, 2025. You can view the video recording of the meeting here. President’s Report
The council president informed the council and the public that four visioning sessions have been held discussing what might be needed in designing the middle school which have been very informative.
The following information was provided by the Watertown Town Democratic Committee:
It’s time to elect delegates at our Watertown caucus for the MassDems Convention! If you are a registered Democrat you are invited to our caucus. Whether you want to be a delegate or just want to vote for a delegate, this is a great way to become involved in the MassDems and have a voice in our message. You will meet other Democrats and learn about what the Democratic Town Committee is doing in our community. WHEH: SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2:00—3:30 PM
WHERE: Lucia Mastrangelo Room (2nd floor), Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St, Watertown, MA, 02472
The convention will be at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on September 13, 2025.
A five-unit residential building has been proposed to go at 75 Spring St. A multi-unit residential building project became the first project submitted in the new Watertown Square Area Plan zoning. Meanwhile, the City seeks consultants to assist with the redesign of the Square’s main intersection and parking lots behind CVS and the Library. The first project to be heard by the Planning Board in the new zoning is located at 75 Spring St., where a five-unit residential building is proposed to replace a vacant one-story industrial building. The project is not in the by-right area for residential buildings, said City Manager George Proakis, but is in the area in which the zoning recently changed.
The following announcement was provided by the City of Watertown:
City of Watertown is Officially Compliant with the MBTA Communities Law! The official notice of compliance was sent to City Manager George Proakis on April 9, 2025. This marks a significant step toward the ultimate goals in implementing the Watertown Square Area Plan, and revitalizing Watertown’s downtown. A (Very) Brief History to MBTA Communities Law Compliance
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts adopted the MBTA Communities Law in January 2021. This required 177 Cities and Towns to establish “at least one district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right.”
On April 8, 2025, City Council heard the City Manager’s FY26 budget presentation, recognized a hometown hero, heard updates on BERDO, the referral of the Demolition Delay Ordinance for review, and met the new Watertown Police dog. See the highlights of the meeting provided by Municipal Policy Analyst Doug Newton
City Council Newsletter
Please see below for the city council’s newsletter for its meeting on April 8, 2025. You can view the video recording of the meeting here.
Mary Barry Honored as a Hometown Hero
Mary Barry, a lifelong resident of Watertown who served as a volunteer in the food pantry for over thirty years, a Parent Teacher Association member for twenty years, among many other roles such as Town Meeting Member, Brownie Girl Scout Leader, and Election Worker in Precinct Three, was honored with a proclamation at Tuesday’s council meeting as a Hometown Hero.
Mary spoke after receiving the proclamation and expressed that she wishes the rest of the world could be more like Watertown. The full proclamation can be read here.
Manager Presentation of FY26 Budget
The significant majority of Tuesday’s meeting consisted of City Manager George Proakis presenting his FY26 budget to the council. The presentation given by the manager can be viewed here, and his full FY26 budget can be accessed here.
The submitted budget contains expenditures totaling $223,660,433.
Watertown City Hall
Watertown’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget includes the addition of the Human Services Department, and City Manager George Proakis said that the budget is “being produced at atime of significant uncertainty.” The proposed FY26 budget of $223.66 million is $7.08 million or 3.27 percent above the revised FY25 budget, Proakis said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The budget maintains the full funding of City pensions, stays on track for funding OPEB (other post employment benefits), supports stabilization funds for affordable housing, open space, and Watertown Square, and it maintains the City’s strategic reserves, Proakis said. The education budget increased by 3.5 percent, and the public safety budget (Police and Fire departments) are being funded at record levels. The major addition to the City government is the creation of Human Services Department as part of implementation of the Health and Human Services Plan.
By Silas Fyler|City of Watertown’s Assistant Director for Energy Management
In many Massachusetts communities, residents have options when it comes to how they get their electricity supply. All of us receive a bill from Eversource that includes a cost for electricity delivery and electricity supply. We have no choice in who delivers electricity to our homes and businesses. In Watertown, that is always Eversource. But we do have a choice in who we pay for our electricity supply.
City Manager George Proakis spoke about development in Watertown, adding staff to the City government, the state of Watertown’s streets, and more on the Eye on Watertown podcast. He was joined by Assistant City Manager for Community Development and Planning Steve Magoon. Co-hosts Clyde Younger and Charlie Breitrose spoke with Proakis and Magoon on March 31 at the Watertown Cable podcast studio. Proakis shared some details about the future of the Sterritt Lumber site, recently purchased by the City. He also talked about his leadership style.
