Candidate Profile: John Hurd, Arlington Select Board

ARLINGTON, MA — John Hurd is one of three candidates running for two open spots on the Select Board April 10. There are contested races for Select Board, Board of Assessors and Housing Authority in the 2021 Town Election.

Arlington Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Hurd is the current chair of the Select Board. He faces challengers Eric Helmuth and Jennifer Susse.

Hurd has been a real estate and zoning lawyer for 12 years and owns his own practice in Arlington.

Are you running for office in Arlington? Contact Alex Newman at alex.newman@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Arlington Patch.

John Hurd

Age (as of Election Day)

37

Position Sought

Select Board

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

I live with my wife Christine, who grew up in Arlington as well and attended the Dallin School and our two boys Wesley, 7, and Dylan, 6, who both attend the Dallin School as well.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My father was on the Select Board (then Board of Selectman) for 14 years from 1997 to 2011.

Education

I went to the Hardy School in East Arlington, the Ottoson Middle School, Arlington Catholic High School, Tufts University and Suffolk Law School.

Occupation

I have been a real estate and zoning lawyer for 12 years. I have my own practice in Arlington Center, the Law Office of John V. Hurd, P.C.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I am currently the Chair of the Select Board

Campaign website

www.re-electjohnhurdselectboar...

Why are you seeking elective office?

The past three years on the Board have been an incredible experience and I continue to learn from my colleagues and town residents and grow as a Select Board Member each day. The Select Board faced numerous challenging issues last term, but we made significant progress relative to Arlington High School, the town's fiscal stability, affordable housing, transportation and sustainability, economic development, and, keeping our town safe during a global pandemic. I am seeking to continue my work on the Board to build on this progress and I believe that I have the knowledge, experience, and demeanor to work collaboratively with my colleagues and residents to effect meaningful change in town.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Returning to "normal" life after COVID 19.

The Select Board will encounter many significant issues in the next term, including racial equity, our affordable housing crises, fighting the Mugar Development, and our continued efforts to implement transportation and sustainability improvements in town. However, in this moment in time, as the vaccine rolls out, the Board will have to spend significant time on policies that help residents and businesses return to normal life. As a father of two elementary school kids, I know it is incredibly important to ensure the school department has all of the funding and resources needed to bring our schools back to full capacity safely. Also, we need to secure all available state and federal grants to distribute to our amazing local businesses who have struggled to survive during the pandemic and continue to identify outdoor areas where our businesses and arts community can operate safely.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have had the privilege of working closely with both candidates, who have been great advocates for the town. As a current Select Board Member, a progressive, a local real estate attorney, a coach, and a 35-year resident of the Arlington, who went through the Arlington school system and now has two boys in Arlington schools, I bring a unique, well-rounded perspective to the Select Board. The issues facing the Select Board in the next term will require a keen understanding the current work of the Board, and a fresh perspective to build on that work and I believe I have both qualities.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

COVID-19 has strained families and businesses, and put our population at serious risk, but the Select Board partnered with town officials and residents to take necessary precautions to keep our town safe. I am truly proud of the way Arlington coalesced in response to COVID-19 to ensure that the town remained a safe place to live. I want to thank our town staff, our first responders, essential workers, and residents for their incredible efforts during this difficult time. In light of the dire situation we were in, I believe the town did everything it could to both keep residents safe and secure federal assistance families and business to stay afloat. Hindsight is always 20/20, but I would not change anything about our efforts during this time.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In addition, to COVID-19, I have been talking to residents about our continued efforts to achieve racial equity in town; our housing affordability crisis and potential zoning changes to combat this; continuing to support sustainable transportation in town; and our long standing battle to protect our open spaces, notably the Mugar Woods.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am proud the of the accomplishments that the Board has achieved in the past three years, and I believe I played a critical role in these accomplishments. We spear-headed the campaign to pass a debt-exclusion for the new Arlington High School and pass an operating override so we can continue to provide top notch services in town and fund needed improvements for school and seniors. We spent significant time on transportation and sustainability improvements, including the roll out of the LimeBikes and then joining the BlueBike system. And, we had many difficult conversations about racism and found ways to engage in respectful, productive dialogues move to toward racial equity in town. As a business owner, I am particularly proud of my work to support our local business. I was a strong advocate on the Board to revitalize our business districting, including the new sidewalks in Arlington Center, and to find to create spaces for businesses to operate both before and during the pandemic.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Listen more, speak less.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am an Arlingtonian through and through, I love the town and grew in and I love the diverse, vibrant locality that it has transformed into. I want to continue to work tirelessly to improve the town for both my family and yours.