These interviews have been edited for clarity and concision.
Sumbul Siddiqui
Register Forum (RF): So you are entering your fourth term on City Council, how do you feel?
Sumbul Siddiqui (SS): I am deeply grateful for the trust and support of our community as I enter my fourth term on City Council. The past six years have been so fulfilling and as we move forward, I am eager to continue collaborating with our community to address current challenges and explore new opportunities. That way, we can continue to develop initiatives and policies in line with my top priority: doing everything we can to provide financial stability and dignity to all of our residents.
RF: What are some changes you’d like to see in Cambridge that have yet to be implemented? How do you think the City Council should change in this coming term?
SS: I would love to see headway on an Electric Bike Program in our city. As more states nationwide embrace electric bicycles and incentive programs to encourage sustainable transportation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, I believe Cambridge should take steps in this direction.
Additionally, I am committed to advancing two crucial initiatives: Rise Up Cambridge, a guaranteed income program, and the Cambridge Promise Pilot, a tuition-free college program. The success stories we consistently hear about these programs highlight their impact, and I see their expansion as a natural and impactful next step for our community. In the coming term, I will actively work towards realizing these changes to benefit the residents of Cambridge.
RF: What is your proudest accomplishment in your time on City Council?
SS: I am so proud that we have led the way over the last three years as one of the first cities in the country to start a guaranteed income program. The RISE pilot, launched in 2021, provided $500 a month for 18 months to single caretakers, demonstrating the effectiveness of cash assistance as a direct anti-poverty strategy. It is the most direct way for the government to say, “We see you, we recognize you could use assistance, and we trust you to figure out how to best use this money.”
Building on this success, in May 2023, we announced the $22 million expansion, Rise Up Cambridge, a non-lottery program providing $500 monthly support for 18 months to households with children under 21, earning at or below 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Currently benefiting 1,922 households and 6,450 residents, Rise Up Cambridge aims to address economic disparities and racial inequities, fostering a thriving, diverse community in Cambridge.
RF: What is your favorite thing about Cambridge?
SS: I love Cambridge Public Libraries! All seven locations stand as vital pillars in our community, offering free resources, events, and a wealth of knowledge. It has been a joy to collaborate with our public libraries on a number of events and initiatives in the past.
In 2021, I worked closely with library staff to eliminate fines, recognizing them as barriers for low-income families and individuals. Going fine-free not only aligned with a national movement but also enhanced accessibility to the incredible materials and services our libraries provide. I’m proud to have been part of a team that took a necessary and inclusive step, making our libraries more accessible. As I begin my next term on the Council, I am enthusiastic about continuing efforts to expand access to our libraries.
Burhan Azeem
RF: So you are returning to Cambridge City Council once again, how do you feel?
Burhan Azeem (BA): I feel great. It’s my second term and to come in second place overall just behind the Mayor is a really great feeling. We did a lot of stuff last term and it’s exciting to hear from voters that they’re excited about all the progress we made.
RF: What are some changes you’d like to see in Cambridge that have yet to be implemented? How do you think the City Council should change in this coming term?
BA: We did a lot around affordable housing; I’d love to do some stuff about housing for the rest of the income spectrum, for middle income, and for market-rate.
I’d additionally like to refocus on transit and find ways we can make up for the fact the T and the Red Line haven’t been doing as well.
RF: What is your proudest accomplishment in your time on City Council?
BA: Eliminating parking minimums. Parking minimums required all places to have a parking spot in their house regardless of whether or not they owned or needed cars. By getting rid of that we’ve freed up a lot of land in the city that we can now do a lot of other things with.
RF: Is there any decision by the Council made in the past that you don’t agree with?
BA: There was a period of time between the 1950s and 1980s where the city’s downzoning made it really hard for renters in the city. We’re now trying to fix and reduce the ramifications of that today.
RF: What is your favorite thing about Cambridge?
BA: The sense of community. It’s definitely a city in that you can go to so many places close by, and I can walk by the street and see people I know. It’s a wonderful feeling to have that dense sort of community.
Marc McGovern
RF: How do you feel returning to Cambridge City Council once again?
Marc McGovern (MM): I’m very excited to be returning to the Council. As someone born and raised in Cambridge, to have a seat at the table to help shape its future is an honor and a privilege.
RF: What are some changes you’d like to see in Cambridge that have yet to be implemented? How do you think the City Council should change in this coming term?
MM: Many of the issues that I’ve been working on over the years are still not resolved. Affordable housing, income insecurity, homelessness, improvements in education, just to name a few. That work must continue.
We can be more focused. We need to reaffirm our goals for the new term, so we can be pulling in the same direction.
RF: What is your proudest accomplishment in your time on City Council?
MM: That would have to be leading on the Affordable Housing Overlay (AHO). Initially passed in 2020 and amended in October 2023, the AHO allows taller heights for affordable housing in higher-density zones and expands and constructs more affordable housing in Cambridge. Having an affordable place to live is key to so many outcomes. Your physical health is better, your mental health is better, your job outcomes are better, your educational outcomes are better. Housing is key, and the AHO has already led to over 600 units of 100% affordable housing currently in some stage of the developmental pipeline in just 3 years. Many people are going to benefit from this housing.
RF: What is your favorite thing about Cambridge?
MM: I know it may sound cliche, but I love the diversity of our city. When I go watch my daughter play soccer at Danehy or my son in the citywide orchestra, I love seeing kids of all races, religions, cultures, and socio-economic classes.
Patricia (Patty) M. Nolan
RF: So you are returning to Cambridge City Council once again, how do you feel?
Patty Nolan (PN): I am excited to be able to serve again and very glad that I did so well—since I had worried that my nuanced approach to policy issues and council work put me at risk of losing. Instead, I did better than last election, which is affirming that people understand and appreciate the role I play in moving the city forward.
RF: What are some changes you’d like to see in Cambridge that have yet to be implemented? How do you think the City Council should change in this coming term?
PN: I would like to see more attention to middle-income housing— the overwhelming majority of our teachers and firefighters cannot afford to live in Cambridge, despite making good salaries of $100,000. I would also like to see attention to a transit system that works, and municipal broadband implemented. There are many other important initiatives we are working on—and I look forward to doing all I can to advance them.
RF: What is your proudest accomplishment in your time on the City Council?
PN: Hiring an excellent city manager who is bringing positive change and a shift in approach. I also have to say that our groundbreaking work on climate, which was done through my leadership, with close collaboration and near consensus in the end is hugely satisfying.
RF: Is there any decision by the Council made in the past that you don’t agree with?
PN: I don’t agree with moving ahead with the policy change of the AHO before the promised review was done. The housing to date is almost all on already existing affordable housing projects (further concentrating low-income residents) and not geographically dispersed, which was a major goal.
RF: What is your favorite thing about Cambridge?
PN: A favorite thing about Cambridge (there are many) is the Department of Public Works (DPW): our curbside compost, textile collection, street plowing, trash collection, and stormwater retention projects to avoid flooding are all DPW responsibilities that help make our city a great place to live.
Paul Toner
RF: So you are returning to Cambridge City Council once again, how do you feel?
Paul Toner (PT): I am happy and thankful to the voters of Cambridge for their support and confidence. I truly appreciate the opportunity to continue to represent them on the City Council.
RF: What are some changes you’d like to see in Cambridge that have yet to be implemented? How do you think the City Council should change in this coming term?
PT: I believe we have a lot of work to do, but not in bringing forward new initiatives. We need to follow through on the goals we set and finish the work that the City Council and staff have set in the past. I hope that the new council will take some time to stop and reflect on a set of priorities that we can all get behind and support the City Manager and staff in accomplishing over the next term. I think the Council should use our committees to engage residents and take more time to deliberate before making decisions on big issues.
RF: What is your proudest accomplishment in your time on City Council?
PT: My proudest accomplishment is not so much about a specific decision or policy. I am proud of the fact that people have regularly told me that they appreciate that I engage with the community and listen to people with various and differing perspectives. Even if they disagree with my final decision they appreciate that I bring a balanced approach to my leadership.
RF: Is there any decision by the Council made in the past that you don’t agree with?
PT: Although I want our streets to be safe for everyone, I do not agree with the prior City Council vote to create a very specific Cycling Safety Ordinance that spells out where and how the lanes must be installed and leaves no flexibility in its implementation. I also do not agree with the most recent Affordable Housing Overlay that recently passed with its universal increase of heights on corridors (for buildings) to 12 stories. I think it is appropriate in some places but not on all stretches of the main traffic corridors.
RF: What is your favorite thing about Cambridge?
PT: I really appreciate the diversity of people living in Cambridge and the feel of the different
neighborhoods. It is a city but also has the feel of a small community. I can think of no other place that has such access to jobs, great schools, history, and all sorts of opportunities to engage with your neighbors and the broader community. Having watched the city transform from a working-class college town to the heart of the innovation economy has been amazing. Because I have lived here for so long and have raised my family here, I can’t imagine living elsewhere.
Jivan G. Sorbinho-Wheeler
RF: So you are returning to Cambridge City Council once again, how do you feel?
Jivan G. Sorbinho-Wheeler (JSW): It’s still feeling a bit surreal even two weeks after the election. After serving a term during the pandemic and narrowly missing re-election in 2021, I really appreciate having the chance to serve again and hopefully in a little bit more normal of a term than my previous one.
RF: What are some changes you’d like to see in Cambridge that have yet to be implemented? How do you think the City Council should change in this coming term?
JSW: Some of the things I’m planning to work for on the City Council include universal after-school programs, more affordable housing and tenant protections, better public transit, safer streets, and a municipal broadband alternative to the Comcast monopoly for internet.
RF: What is your proudest accomplishment in your previous time on City Council?
JSW: Cosponsoring our AHO ordinance and helping get it across the finish line. Cambridge is one of the most expensive cities in the country. It will create hundreds of new affordable homes to help people stay in Cambridge and allow more people on our affordable housing waitlist to be able to call Cambridge home.
RF: What is your favorite thing about Cambridge?
JSW: The Cambridge Public Library, especially the Main Branch on Broadway. It’s a beautiful building and a great space that brings all different kinds of people together to learn and build community.
E. Denise Simmons
RF: So you returning to Cambridge City Council once again, how do you feel?
Denise Simmons (DS): I feel excited. This has been a very challenging year for me personally, and I’ve been working hard to continue doing my best as a city councilor, making sure peoples’ voices are heard, working to pass legislation that will allow for more affordable housing, working to make our government more inclusive and more accountable, and I’m very excited to be able to continue doing that work for another term.
RF: What are some changes you’d like to see in Cambridge that have yet to be implemented? How do you think the City Council should change in this coming term?
DS: This is a broad question, but I would say that we have a community that has so much wealth and opportunity, and I want to find more ways to open the doors of opportunity to more of our residents. We have two of the most prestigious universities in the world, Harvard and MIT, and we have the companies in Kendall Square that are literally changing the world—and I’d love to find ways to ensure that more of our residents have an on-ramp to these entities. I am excited to work with my returning colleagues, and my three new ones, to find ways to strengthen those onramps, but I do not yet know what form that will take. I do hope that the new council will function more cohesively and I am looking forward to seeing how we all interact and gel.
RF: What is your proudest accomplishment in your time on City Council?
DS: I’ve been on the Council for over 20 years, so it is hard to pick just one accomplishment! But I will say that I earned a fair amount of national attention in 2008, when I became the nation’s first Black, openly lesbian individual to serve as mayor (and the first Black, female mayor in Massachusetts), and I was proud to open those doors and serve as an example to others that you could have greater diversity in leadership roles, and we could expand the idea of what a mayor, or an elected leader, should look like. It’s not that long ago that only older white men were entrusted with these types of roles, and though many of them did a fine job, greater diversity in government and leadership roles—greater diversity in lived experiences—leads to stronger, more inclusive policies. So I am pleased to have played a role in opening doors.
RF: Is there any decision by the Council made in the past that you don’t agree with?
DS: There are many decisions that have been made that I don’t agree with. But rather than citing one specific item, I am in favor of saying that I don’t believe in holding grudges and holding onto regrets. Being in a democracy means that sometimes things are not going to go your way. Sometimes you’re going to be on the losing side of a vote, and you need to accept that and move on. I worry that we’re losing that capacity to accept when things don’t go our way in this society, and I think that’s very corrosive to our society.
RF: What is your favorite thing about Cambridge?
DS: There are too many things to list! But I love the fact that we’re a city, and yet small enough that we feel like a town. I love that I know so many of my neighbors across the community, that I see so many faces and families that were here from when I was growing up. I love the history all around us, and thinking about the people of Cambridge 100, 200, 300 years ago and what their lives must have been like. I like the funky little restaurants and the beautiful scenery, the brick walkways, and the marvelous houses. I truly think Cambridge is the best city in America!
Ayesha M. Wilson
RF: So you are entering your first term on Cambridge City Council, how do you feel?
Ayesha M. Wilson (AW): I am extremely honored to serve my city in this way. Running for City Council is very hard! I am grateful to everyone who ran this term. I learned so much about some very complex issues in our city. I am ready to get to work!
RF: What are some changes you’d like to see Cambridge implement during your term on the council?
AW: I would like to see more transparency and accountability. What I mean by that is for us to look at our data as it relates to the outcomes of each department and to make necessary changes such that the city can be as effective and honest to its residents as possible..
RF: What made you want to run for City Council and step down from the School Committee?
AW: This election was historic! To have three sitting councilors not seek re-election is major for the City of Cambridge. As a sitting School Committee member, I found this opportunity to be a natural next step to continue being a successful advocate for our community, especially for our most underrepresented individuals and families. While it was a huge challenge to run for this seat as a single mom with three jobs and a volunteer member of two boards, this was an important decision I made with the dedicated support of my family—most importantly, my mom!
RF: Is there any decision by the Council made in the past that you don’t agree with?
AW: I won’t speak to specifics, but I think there have been a few decisions made by the Council that, while the intentions were well-meaning, the outcome and impact were negatively problematic. However, I will say that we need to do a better job of engaging our community stakeholders more thoughtfully.
RF: What is your favorite thing about Cambridge?
AW: Cambridge is such a wonderful city! There are many spaces for creativity, small businesses, young people to grow and thrive, and loads of innovation.
Joan Pickett
RF: So you are entering your first term on Cambridge City Council, how do you feel?
Joan Pickett (JP): I’m very excited to join the City Council for the first time.
RF: What are some changes you’d like to see in Cambridge that have yet to be implemented?
JP: Several very important and far-reaching policy orders were passed in the last term (Affordable Housing Overlay and Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) amendments) that need further work and the new council needs to make that work a priority.
RF: How do you think the City Council should change in this coming term?
JP: I am hopeful the relationship between the new council will be collaborative and focus on how to bring the community together when dealing with complicated policy issues.
RF: Is there any decision by the Council made in the past that you don’t agree with?
JP: In the future, I want the City Council to be more transparent in how policy decisions are made and to more actively engage residents so the Council will have input more broadly from the community.
RF: What is your favorite thing about Cambridge?
JP: The main library branch and Joan Lorentz Park!
