Candidate Profile: Michael Runyan For Burlington Selectman

BURLINGTON, MA — Dozens of candidates are running in the April 10 Burlington Town Election, including in contested races for the Board of Selectmen and town clerk. Burlington Patch asked Board of Selectmen and School Committee candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Mike Runyan is running for re-election to the Board of Selectmen. There are three people running for two available seats. Runyan faces fellow incumbent Joe Morandi and challenger Shari Ellis.

Runyan is a retired firefighter and has been on the Board of Selectmen for nine years.

Are you running for office in Burlington? Contact Christopher Huffaker at chris.huffaker@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to BurlingtonPatch.

Previously on Patch: Burlington Election Final List: Dozens Run For Town Offices

Michael Runyan

Age (as of Election Day)

63

Position Sought

Selectman

Family

Wife Lisa, 3 children, 6 grandchildren

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My daughter Nicole is lead foreman for the town's facilities/cemetery division and I am so very proud of her.

Education

Ma. Firefighting Academy, Northeastern University EMT program

Occupation

Retired Firefighter (31 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Selectman 9 years, Burlington Housing Authority 3 years, Town Meeting 12 years

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am quite proud of the accomplishments of the past nine years as a Selectman and I look forward to expanding on those achievements and to help lead the effort to rebound from Coronavirus.

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

Protecting our residents and providing support and assistance to our business community are the number one priority. Maintaining town services has been challenging and I thank our employees for their cooperation in adjusting to varied schedules and workplace changes. We will continue to be flexible and relax certain policies to allow our commercial partners to keep their doors open. I am very pleased with this administration's response to coronavirus and grateful for the exceptional talent that we draw on from our Board of Health.

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

I believe all three candidates are good people, well-intentioned and I don't see our differences as critical but I would suggest that my thirty-plus years as a Firefighter as well as more than twenty years as an elected official in various positions allows for a broad view and assessment of the community needs.

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

We have made numerous policy and capital improvements over my nine years as Selectman; perhaps the most important is the Paramedic program that we implemented in January of last year. This is a far superior service that was long overdue. Making the MWRA connection, creating an Economic Development position, adopting a sidewalk policy as well as building a new fire station and DPW facility to better meet the needs of our community are good examples.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Gary Gianino once told me that answering every phone call and email from constituents is most important... and I agree wholeheartedly.

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

The job doesn't end when the meeting adjourns. People know me and trust me. They know me because with the help of some friends I organize our 4th of July events, COA Bingo, Welcome to Burlington Sign, 9-11 Memorial and Olympic Stone on the common. They see me at every Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremony. They trust me to teach their children first aid, fire safety or how to properly fold an American Flag to earn a merit badge. You will also find me at The Wish Tree, Meals on Wheels, Hurricane relief efforts, Pumpkin Patch, Homeless Vets and just about any organization that needs a volunteer.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.