This month, in the run-up to the preliminary elections on September 12th, the Quincy Dems blog is featuring a series of profiles of the Democratic candidates for the Councilor At-Large positions. To give voters a better sense of who the candidates are and what their visions are for the city of Quincy, we sent a questionnaire to each candidate in which we asked them to help us craft a portrait of who they are as both candidates and residents of Quincy. We will be publishing these profiles as we receive responses from each of the candidates.

Daniel G. Raymondi, a former prosecutor, public defender, Quincy city councillor, and Commissioner of Public Works for the city of Quincy, is running to be one of Quincy’s at-large councillors to “improve the lives of all Quincy residents.” Raymondi believes that his established record of leadership, public service, and advocacy will “help Quincy secure its footing while we are undergoing dramatic change.”

Raymondi has long been involved in serving the city of Quincy, as both a former city councillor as well as the Commissioner for Quincy’s Department of Public Works. Under Raymondi’s leadership, the DPW received the 2016 New England Stormwater Management Award and was recognized by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection and Clean/Water Action for outstanding performance and achievement. As city councillor, he was instrumental in proposing and passing a number of significant programs related to tourism, infrastructure, public safety, and senior quality of life.

In running for Councillor At-Large, Raymondi recognizes a number of areas that need attention in our community, in particular crime and public safety; quality of life and public spaces; senior care; public works; and Quincy’s public schools. As a city councillor, Raymondi wrote and passed Quincy’s Community Policing Ordinance, which he calls “a proactive approach that focuses on areas that generate crime.” He was also honored by Quincy’s firefighters as an honorary firefighter in recognition of his commitment to fire safety. Raymondi pledges to add his support for “increased police presence throughout the city and for providing the best services, equipment and training for our police officers and firefighters.” This support is necessary, Raymondi believes, because “every neighborhood in Quincy should be a safe space to raise a family.”

Raymondi also sees Quincy’s growth and need for investment in infrastructure as an issue that does not need to come with unnecessary tax burdens. “My career in public service has been notable for creative innovative ways to find solutions without burdening Quincy’s taxpayers,” he says. As an example, Raymondi notes his work on writing and passing a Hotel/Motel Petition as a city councillor, legislation that has to date raised more than $15 million from visitors to Quincy that are directed to improving the city’s parks and playgrounds, preserving its open spaces and historical sites, and renovating its schools and attracting even more tourism. Some of the beneficiaries of this petition include Faxon Field, Veteran’s Memorial Stadium, Brill Field, the Squantum Point Ferry, Houghs Neck seawall repairs, and the Quincy Historical Society, among many others. Quality of life is an important goal for Raymondi, and one that he believes does not need to go hand-in-hand with greater taxes. “As Councillor At-Large, I will continue to seek alternative solutions for funding initiatives that improve the quality of life in Quincy without asking taxpayers to foot the bill,” he says.

Raymondi would also like to focus greater attention and resources on helping seniors in Quincy, many of whom live on fixed incomes and have their financial assets tied up in their homes. As a city councillor, Raymondi was instrumental in passing the Senior Workers Abatement Program, which allowed seniors to work off parts of their real estate tax bills, and he made a point to raise awareness about the Circuit Breaker Law to help seniors remain in their homes. As a private citizen, Raymondi helped negotiate a $500,000 settlement that reimbursed senior citizens for ambulance services. Senior quality of life is a central focus of Raymondi’s public service. If elected this fall, Raymondi will continue to prioritize “improving and expanding programs for our seniors,” including reducing water/sewer and real estate tax bills which burden many seniors.

As a former commissioner of the Department of Public Works, the city’s infrastructure looms large in Raymondi’s list of priorities. While the city has made a number of improvements, he says, “more needs to be done.” Some of the issues that Raymondi sees as critical fixes include prioritizing and speeding up the replacement of the city’s 100-year old water mains, making needed repairs to roads and sidewalks, improving the city’s stormwater management programs, and developing a comprehensive traffic and pedestrian safety plan. “These investments will add value to our homes and neighborhoods,” Raymondi argues.

Quincy’s public schools are another area of concern for Raymondi, who is himself a graduate of the Quincy public school system before attending college at College of the Holy Cross and Boston College Law School. “I owe a lot to the Quincy public schools,” he notes, and he has worked to give back to our city’s schools through his service, serving two terms on the School Committee, including serving part of that time as Vice-Chair of the committee. His advocacy for Quincy’s schools during this time included leading rebuilding efforts, reducing class sizes, and improving the academic and technological opportunities offered to students. If elected as Councillor At-Large, Raymondi pledges to continue his support for the city’s public school system and all of the opportunities it affords. Says Raymondi, “Quincy’s children deserve the best education, facilities, and tools to achieve their goals.”

As voters consider the candidates running for Quincy’s Councillor At-Large positions, Raymondi hopes that they recognize his commitment to improving Quincy’s quality of life for its residents. As councillor, Raymondi pledges to “ask important and difficult questions regarding the issues we face as a city.” While continuing his focus on fiscal responsibility, Raymondi will also work to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly and will always look for alternative solutions that improve quality of life without adding tax burdens to the city’s residents.

In our surveys, we asked each candidate how we, as Democrats, can help them in their candidacy. To conclude these profiles, we’ll end with each candidate’s response to that question. Here is Dan Raymondi’s:

My campaign for Councillor At Large is a grass roots organization. We are encouraging residents who recognize that the City Council needs an accomplished, experienced and results driven candidate to lead the City during a period of dramatic change to join our effort. We are asking respectfully for residents to vote for me in the September 12th Primary Election, put a sticker on their cars, place a sign on their lawn, send friend to friend cards, or help us in a variety of other ways.

To learn more about Daniel Raymondi, or to get in touch with his campaign, you can send him an email or visit him on Facebook.