West Roxbury resident William King is one of the three candidates for the District 6 Boston City Council seat.
William King
The Preliminary Municipal Election is on Tuesday, September 12, and two candidates will advance to the general election on November 7.
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King, a technology director for the Appalachian Mountain Club, answered questions from Jamaica Plain News about his candidacy.
Q: Why are you running to be the next District 6 Boston City Councilor?
King: I decided to run for City Council because I believe District 6 deserves a leader who is committed to putting the needs of constituents first, determined to end current divisions on the City Council, and ready to bring the focus back to where it belongs: addressing the needs of the residents who elected us to serve.
Q: You've run for the Boston City Council before as an at-large candidate. What did you learn from your prior campaigns?
King: Running for At-Large confirmed what I have always known growing up here: Boston is truly an incredible place to call home, but there are also real issues in our communities that need to be addressed, from schools to crime, public works to transportation, and so much more. Having the chance to talk with residents, both now and in my previous campaign, the thing I would hear time and again is that they are ultimately looking for elected officials who are committed to delivering real results.
Q: District 6's current city councilor Kendra Lara is running to be re-elected. Could you do the job better than Councilor Lara?
King: Yes, I would not be running if I did not think I could do a better job than our incumbent councilor.
I believe that two crucial aspects of effective leadership are integrity and accountability. When leaders act with honesty, transparency, and ethical conduct, they inspire trust among their constituents. Doing so builds credibility and helps foster a sense of unity and cooperation within the community.
District 6 deserves a city councilor who prioritizes these values and is focused on delivering for our community, and that is exactly what they will get with if I am elected.
Q: If elected, what legislation would propose in your first 100 days in office?
King: If elected, some of the first issues I would work to address would be around creating more access to affordable housing, increasing investments in Boston Public Schools, and expanding access to public transportation across the district.
Q: What are the three biggest issues facing District 6? Please provide specific ways you will affect change on these issues.
King:
Housing: A major issue facing District 6, and the entire city, is access to affordable housing. If elected, I would work to ensure every resident has access to stable, quality, and affordable housing by creating more pathways to homeownership, expanding the first-time home buyers program, and working to fund the construction of new low-income units.
Education: In many ways, the Boston Public Schools have failed our kids and there is a great deal of work that needs to be done to both restore trust and ensure that every child has access to a world-class education. If elected, I will fight for increased investments, better school facilities, universal pre-K, and expanded options for childcare.
Transportation: Many of the communities across District 6 have little to no access to quality public transportation. If elected, I will work to increase that access across the district and ensure it is equitable and affordable for all.
Q: How are you presently, or have been, involved in the District 6 community?
King: As a lifelong Boston resident, I was a student at the Patrick Lyndon School and the Charles Sumner and have fond memories of growing up in JP, West Roxbury and Roslindale. Those memories were one of the key reasons I insisted on becoming a homeowner right here in District 6. At the start of this campaign, I pledged to be an active listener and work with our neighbors to solve the challenges facing us. I look forward to continuing to be present and available in every part of the district.
Q: Do you support the Shattuck Campus redevelopment proposal? Why or why not?
King: I am not in support of the current proposal, while I believe we need to create more beds for those requiring access to recovery services, the amount proposed for the Shattuck Campus is far too much for one site to bear and will have an adverse and negative effect on the surrounding community.
Q: What would you like to see happen with the MBTA Arborway Bus Yard?
King: I would like to see the city honor the memorandum of understanding. We deserve a robust and transparent community process when it comes to this project. There needs to be 8 acres set aside for housing and community use. Less than 8 acres can possibly equate to a loss of roughly 100 affordable units. It is also important that we keep this project on track to electrify our bus fleet to meet our climate goals and provide the district with the much needed low-income housing units.