Campbell lays out her ‘plan’ for District 4

District 4 city council candidate Andrea Campbell released an updated version of her platform last Friday, her latest salvo in a robust challenge to 32-year incumbent Charles Yancey. Campbell sees her “plan, a comprehensive document that addresses issues ranging from councillor accessibility to economic development, as a way for her potential constituents to measure how she meets her commitments to them.

In an interview with the Reporter on Tuesday, the 33-year-old Campbell said that after what she called “a “listening series,” she and her team itemized her priorities: accessibility, first and foremost; strategic funding; education; safer streets and stronger communities; economic development and jobs; and more affordable housing.

Her goal, she said, is to “lay out what a city councillor could actually do in response for those concerns. And I wanted it to be in writing, so that people could hold me accountable when I get there.”

Dense with policy goals, the plan is in some ways a pivot from the approach that Campbell’s campaign has taken to date, with its focus on her personal story and a promise to be accessible to district residents (she still gives out her personal cell phone).

That strategy proved effective in the preliminary elections in September when she ran away with the race, racking up 58 percent of the vote to Yancey’s 34 percent in a year when only 7 percent of voters – 3,422 in number – cast ballots.

Residents are already reaching out to her for assistance on local problems, Campbell said while sitting in the attic of her new Dorchester Avenue base of operations. “Typically, they’ve tried to go through official channels for the last month or years, and nothing’s changed or they haven’t gotten a response. So they’re calling me to say, ‘Help me with this. I voted for you. Help me.’ ”

In her plan, each category identifies specific goals and makes measurable commitments, Campbell said. For instance, in her strategic funding section, she pledges to establish and maintain a centralized resource bank for residents.

She also promises regular community office hours, that she will work for an increase in affordable housing stock from 15 percent to 25 percent, and that she will address the issue of case review time by the Community Ombudsman Oversight Panel by advocating for an average of 90 days rather than a year or longer.

On the accessibility front, Campbell outlines an informational roll-out system by which any gaps would be quickly apparent. Among the specifics are a 24-48 hour guarantee to respond to any resident’s request, the production and broadcast of notes on each city council hearing, and the production of a newsletter with upcoming events.

Campbell also pledges to release a report card on her progress every six months, offering a consistent way for constituents to measure her follow-through and express approval or discontentment.

The full plan is available on her website, campbellforbostond4.com, but Campbell said the campaign is also printing out and delivering copies to citizens who may find digital access inconvenient or impossible. “We need to be more creative with how we’re getting information to residents,” she said.

Yancey, who did not respond to a request for an interview with the Reporter this week, has been visible on the civic circuit, hitting public events like last week’s Men of Boston Cook event at Codman Square, and door-knocking in Ward 17.

On Monday, Yancey spoke to residents at the Peabody-Englewood Apartments, where Mayor Martin Walsh was on hand to announce improvements to the building.

Yancey, whose district includes the elderly housing development, said he visited the building recently and was stuck on the fourth floor for a period due to a disabled elevator.

“One of interesting things I learned during my last visit here was that the seniors would really love to have free Wi-Fi,” said Yancey, who at age 67, is a senior citizen as well. “I just want you to know we’re listening. As a result of that request, I filed two hearing orders. One is to look at free Wi-Fi in elderly developments and the second deals with free Wi-Fi in all family developments.”

The two candidates will meet at a forum on Mon., Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Great Hall in Codman Square. The event, moderated by Codman Academy Charter Public School principal Thabiti Brown, is being organized by a coalition of civic groups, including Codman Square Neighborhood Council, Melville Park Association, and Mattapan United, among others. For more information, contact 781-405-8648.


Subscribe to the Dorchester Reporter