Willie Burnley

Arts / Culture Fund additional grants for local artists to beautify Somerville through murals and other public art through a tax on short-term rentals like Airbnb. Housing Work with state partners to end the unethical practice of forcing renters to pay for a broker that they did not hire. Infrastructure / Transportation Ensure that our playgrounds are accessible and built with universal design. Education Offer students safe and engaging spaces to learn by improving municipal buildings like schools and libraries. Environment / Energy Implement a Green New Deal for Somerville Public Schools to ensure that new school buildings will be fully sustainable and decarbonized. Education Create a comprehensive Out-of-School Time strategy for our students that works to fill scheduling gaps and centralizes resources for community-wide activities in one place. Arts / Culture Create a City-operated website for artists to upload examples of their work, create profiles, and be connected to local businesses as they go through the permitting process in order for businesses to more easily buy locally made art. Arts / Culture Ensure the long-term viability of Arts at the Armory by creating co-governance of the Armory with legal leases. Housing Increase funding to Somerville’s Housing Acquisition fund through a tax on short-term rentals like Airbnb. Economy Whether it’s a space to socialize, to seek support, or to sink your teeth into a meal, local businesses serve a crucial role in our community. Sadly, too many of our storefronts remain vacant for far too long. We need creative leadership that works with our local business community to end the blight of in our squares. Wages / Job Benefits Expand worker benefits by ensuring that survivors receive separate paid leave in the event of violence, as supported by RESPOND. Housing As someone formerly displaced from Somerville and the only renter in this race, Willie acutely feels the urgency of working to build permanently affordable housing. That’s why he’s used his power on the council to eliminate economic barriers for affordable housing developers. Housing Collaborate with the Somerville Community Land Trust to build more permanently affordable housing. Infrastructure / Transportation Enforce the Vacant Properties Ordinance and raise the fees associated with maintaining an unsafe, unclean, or unregistered vacant property in violation of the ordinance. Wages / Job Benefits Supporting our students requires us to support educators with living wages and safe working conditions.