Check out the great conversation with Medford's own Hank Morse. Hank and Breanna discuss many important issues and answer questions that residents in this community have asked. Thank you Hank Morse for your time and support!

#transparency #unitycommunityintegrity #breanna4mayor

Elie Levine and Alexander Thompson
September 17, 2019

The Medford City Council passed a home rule charter petition Sept. 5 that, if passed by the Massachusetts state legislature, would ensure that Tufts and other nonprofits provide the city with institutional master plans.

The home rule petition was filed in the Massachusetts state legislature the same day by State Rep. Christine Barber.

Under a Massachusetts law, cities cannot require nonprofits, such as educational institutions, hospitals and religious institutions, to provide an institutional master plan. The same law limits the zoning power cities hold over such institutions.

An Editorial by Breanna Lungo-Koehn, City Councilor and Candidate for Mayor

Ask five residents how to report a problem to local government and you’re likely to get five answers. The tool being used by City Hall is See-Click-Fix, an online reporting tool for residents to report a host of issues, from potholes to lost pets. We have found that his well-intended response lacks a variety of things necessary to meet Medford’s needs. The tool is unknown, its approach is inconsistently adopted within our government, and the core benefits of the tool, accountability and transparency, have not been embraced.

Absentee voting is open for the November 5, 2019 Medford City Election! Please call 781-393-2491 or click here for information.

My first mailer went out! These are some of the Priorities I feel are of the utmost importance.  For more information, please click here and choose one of the topics listed.

Before we reach October, I would like to bring awareness to the fact that September is national recovery month. With the MA Department of Public Health reporting an average of more than 500 Medford substance abuse admissions each year, we all know people who have struggled with addiction. (https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2019/03/13/cities.pdf)

I recently became aware of what appears to be a coordinated attempt to paint me as a Republican and a conservative, and I wanted to weigh in on what I am reading. It is my nature to engage, and in spite of trying to stay focused on our priorities and plan, I thought it was worth a few minutes to share some thoughts.

Although local elections are nonpartisan, I'm a registered Democrat. I appreciate politicians who seem willing to find common ground. I think ideas are more powerful than the political party of the folks who share them. I think part of what's wrong with our national politics is that too many politicians have forgotten this simple bit of common sense.

We set a goal to canvas the city before Labor Day. Thanks to our amazing team and my family we were able to accomplish that goal! 20,000 brochures were hand folded and delivered!

It takes a village and I am so thankful for mine.

#breanna4mayor #unitycommunityintegrity #medfordma

While the Green Line Extension (GLX) will bring greater accessibility to downtown Boston, we also need to think strategically as a community on the impact that it will have on our streets and on our residents’ ability to park. South Medford and the Hillside neighborhoods in particular are anticipated to have the greatest impact on both traffic and parking. One solution that residents, as well as the city council have been discussing and advocating for over the past several years, is implementing an area-wide resident permit parking policy with strict and consistent enforcement and the ability for streets to opt out.

Mayor Burke’s decision to withdraw her proposed Mystic Ave zoning changes last night is a welcome step to ensure our neighborhoods are engaged in their future and more haphazard luxury apartment developments don’t crowd out thoughtful opportunities to see Medford grow.

The abrupt change of direction from Mayor Burke indicates what we already know - the current administration lacks vision and lacks any plan for Medford’s future development or sufficient capacity to execute positive change.

I am humbled and honored to have received an endorsement from the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts (PFFM).  If elected, I will continue to support the brave firefighters of Medford in any way I can.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Breanna

Please click "read more", to see a copy of the letter.

Fabulous night is an understatement! Thank you to everyone who came to Real Gusto Medford for a wonderful night of wine, cheese, laughs, and fun while listening to Medford’s favorite, Rich DiMare and Boston Bruin's organist, Ron Poster!  Thank you Matteo and Francesca Ronzio and staff at Real Gusto for hosting such a great event! 

You may have noticed around Medford that my lawn signs (and banners) are OUT!! 

What a team! Thanks to all who helped my husband, Dave put up the yard signs while I was speaking to the AFL-CIO! 

Thank you to all who have emailed, called and messaged me for signs!  If you'd like a sign, please contact me - the next round is going out soon!!

July 30, 2019

A Detailed Plan to Improve Medford’s Approach to Zoning, Planning and Community Development

Introduction

Permitting and zoning are among the most impactful ways local government shapes a city.  This detailed plan includes suggested changes to how our City can grow and add value to our surrounding neighborhoods.  More important to the details is a vision for change.  That vision should be created through a dialogue with our residents, neighborhoods and businesses.  This policy paper is intended to start the conversation based on 18 years of experience in local government, 10 years as a local business owner and 39 as a Medford resident which have included amazing change, inexcusable process breakdowns and a Medford that has tremendous strengths that need to be capitalized on and not threatened.

Great day on the campaign trail...canvassing in am...standout in West Medford Square...and a wonderful Meet & Greet at Bella Capelli West Salon. Thank you to all that came out in support and thank you to Maria Iannessa for hosting! 

Editor’s note: The following letter was sent to the Medford Transcript and the Medford Patch from City Councilor Breanna Lungo-Koehn.

June 26, 2019

Hello, This is Medford City Council Vice President Breanna Lungo-Koehn –

I have grave concern with what happened Tuesday June 25th at the City Council meeting.

Mayor Burke proposed a zoning change to Mystic Avenue the night before we break for summer session.  While I agree that our zoning is in desperate need of an update, major changes should only occur after three basic steps occur:

• The Mayor or her designee provides a full briefing on the impact of the changes to the Council at a time when the public is present. The briefing should include an explanation of how the changes relate to a comprehensive vision for growth and development in Medford,

Editor’s note: The following was submitted by City Councilor Breanna Lungo-Koehn:

What matters more in the decisions government makes: Process or outcome? My experience is that outcomes are better if there is commitment to a transparent process where all are allowed a seat at the table. And the outcome of lack of transparency is that large parts of the community question the integrity of elected decision-makers. It’s the taxpayer dollars we as government leaders spend and it’s the community we are privileged to serve.

Thanks to all who came to the ice cream social at the Medford Senior Center!  Our Seniors are a very important part of our community. 

This campaign is built upon engaging our entire community in which Tufts is a part of. People from all over the city have solid ideas to make sure any PILOT program is beneficial to both Tufts and Medford. Many have shared their ideas with me, and I recently sent a letter to Tufts University President Anthony Monaco and Medford Mayor Stephanie Burke with these ideas, because residents need to be part of the process, and their voices deserve to be heard. 

I've been around public service long enough to know that many of the best ideas comes from stakeholders in our community. A Lungo-Koehn Administration will always be transparent, and will seek public input on issues that affect us all.

You can read a copy of the letter here.

Below are seven suggestions for inclusion in any fair PILOT agreement:

Medford Day 2019 was a huge success thanks to all of you who came out!!  A lot of you took a spin on our wheel of chance to win a $30 gift card to CB Scoops!  We had lots of fun stuff on hand to give away as well as a white board where we asked people to write their hopes for Medford by the year 2020.  The feedback was good and promoted engaging conversation.  Community events like this are awesome.  

Thank you to those who came out on this gorgeous Saturday to chat about your thoughts on Medford, have coffee, and enjoy delicious treats from Simple Fare Medford! 

I am beyond honored to have received this letter of endorsement on behalf of the 115 members of the Professional Firefighters Union of Medford. 

Please click "read more" to see the complete letter written by Walter E. Buckley, Jr., Union President of Local 1032.

Breanna Lungo-Koehn launched her campaign for Mayor on Sunday, March 31st. Read her speech below:

I am here today with enthusiasm to announce my candidacy for Mayor of Medford! I love our community and am called to act at a time when our City has very real choices about our future. 

As I have weighed this decision, I made many phone calls, had multiple meet and greets, and have heard from neighbors, friends and strangers from across our city to hear what is important to each individual. I have heard a lot about what we should aspire to achieve – how to improve city services, pave way for small businesses, increase employee morale, and improve our schools.