On Smiling Politely
On Tuesday, March 12th, 2024 there was a regular meeting of the Medford City Council on many items, among them an opportunity for the Council to decide to discuss a home rule petition to levy a tax on high end real estate sales. The intention of the petition was for it to receive a paper number and be sent to the Planning and Permitting Committee so that Councilors can discuss the details of the petition, which is highly changeable and can be tweaked for each municipality based on the needs of that city or town. The tax can range from .5% to 2% and can apply to sales of homes above $1 million or above $2 million, it can be a tax on the full amount of the sale or only on the amount over and above $1 or 2 million. There are many exemptions that can be factored in, such as excluding buyers or sellers on fixed incomes, owner occupants, veterans, etc.
This is exciting in particular this year, because Governor Healey has included an allowance for a Real Estate Transfer Fee in her housing bond bill so it is more likely to pass this year than ever before, and we would like to be prepared if it does with legislation written and ready to go.
Councilor Matt Leming, the lead sponsor of this petition, explained much of the above to the gathered crowd in the chambers on March 12th, but unfortunately for many residents it was too late. There was a lot of misinformation circulated in Medford - intentionally, I believe - about the Real Estate Transfer Fee. Though about a third of the residents spoke in favor of the petition, the loudest voices were in opposition and resembled an angry mob. They were afraid that at the end of our vote, homeowners would be immediately taxed to within an inch of their lives. There was a lack of understanding of what was involved in the petition and though we tried to clear it up repeatedly during the meeting, the ship had sailed. Unfortunately, the crowd came in ready for a fight before we had even begun.
I am generally in favor of exploring the possibility of this tax, which would fund affordable housing initiatives in Medford, which is one of my highest priorities as a City Councilor. I believe we need to explore as many options as possible to fund affordable housing.
I spoke during the meeting only a few times. I mentioned that my own mom has been displaced from Medford because of the cost of housing. I discussed the increase in new guests at the Malden Warming Center this winter as a result of the cost of living. I spoke about the importance of affordable housing to this Council.
But overall, I didn’t speak much. Mostly I listened. And as I was listening, I reacted to the speakers. Many speakers were very angry and afraid. They spoke to members of the council as though we were trying to hurt them or take away their rights. They insulted the members who are renters. People in the crowd shouted over City Councilors as they spoke. It was a very contentious meeting and I felt surprised and shocked many times. My face most likely showed my feelings.
At one point during the meeting, a woman I have not seen before came to the podium to speak. She asked me my name, which I gave her, and then she told me that I am condescending. My kids were watching the meeting at home. They learned a new word that night. It’s fine, I’m glad they expanded their vocabulary. What I don’t love about it is that I was singled out. The Real Estate Transfer Fee is not my initiative. I didn’t put it on the agenda. In fact, I hadn’t put anything on the agenda that night. But I was called names, shouted at, jeered and bullied. When I spoke about the importance of affordable housing I became emotional and I paused. In that moment of silence, the crowd in the chamber shouted at me.
I reacted. I yelled back at the crowd and told them they had been horrible all night. (I wish I had held it together better in that moment, but I can only take so much.) I reiterated that affordable housing was something many of the City Councilors had built their campaigns on and we would carry forward that initiative because that was our promise to Medford. After my outburst I stood up and told Council President Bears that I needed a break. I walked out of the chambers while the crowd continued to jeer and heckle me. Someone yelled “If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
I took a few minutes in a conference room and got over it. The council took a short recess and I went back in and we finished the meeting. It lasted until after 1:00am and we had to table about half the agenda items because so many people spoke on the Real Estate Transfer Fee petition. We voted 6-1 to send the petition to the Planning and Permitting Committee to be crafted with exemptions for various groups and carefully constructed for the needs of Medford. My hope is that this legislation will allow our Affordable Housing Trust to grow and fund new initiatives to build more affordable housing in Medford and help allay the ongoing housing crisis. It is one of many ways we are working to combat the increasing cost of living in our region.
A week has gone by since that meeting. I haven’t slept well.
Last night, Tuesday March 19th, 2024, we had another regular meeting of the Medford City Council. All week I was afraid of what the meeting would be like. I was afraid there would be another angry mob in the chambers. I arrived and sat quietly and tried not to look condescending. I tried to smile more, in case that had been the problem. It was a quiet meeting, mostly consisting of the agenda items we hadn’t gotten to the week prior. Toward the end of the meeting I realized what I was doing: smiling politely, staying quiet.
By the end of last night’s meeting I was angrier than I had been before, this time at myself. Where do I get off staying silent? Who is that helping? How is that amplifying the voices of my constituents - the people who voted for me? Being silent and smiling politely is not my job. My job is to do what I promised people I would do.
So here is my promise to my constituents: I will fight for what I believe to be right and for what Medford voters put me in office to do. I will listen and I will act. It is not my responsibility to make my face nice for anyone. It is my responsibility to work for you. Thank you for reminding me what my job is and for strengthening my resolve.
