Celeste Ribeiro Hewitt at Winthrop Republican Town Committee Candidate Night

Hear from Celeste as she discusses her take on timely town concerns. Read her responses as recorded via the video transcript below.

Question 1:

Few issues in recent memory have generated as much discussion in our community as the MBTA Communities (3A) Act. Please share your position on this regulation, and explain how you would gauge and represent the wishes of your precinct regarding this issue.

Celeste: 47:45

The next candidate for councilor at large, Celeste Ribeiro Hewitt Um so with regards to any uh proposal or initiative that is put before town council, the only two barometers that we should be looking at are obligations and outcomes.

Our obligations to our constituents, to upholding the law, upholding the oath that we take and our outcomes of our constituents and even our own desires.

I believe that we have arrived at a point in time with not one - but two unique proposals on 3A. That we are at a place where we're hitting pretty much everybody's desired outcome which is zero additional housing units. Exemption is not a path that's available. And so this paper compliance is essentially the equivalent of an exemption.

We are at a time, as a member of the climate commission, we've identified $80 million in resources that we need to stave off climate (related) impacts. We cannot preclude ourselves from access to state funds and grants, which by the way is our money.

Those that have decided to wave these grants and access to the same have decided to wave our money. I will also - the last thing I will say is that in the time that we've been kicking around the 3A initiative there have been over 90 dense units proposed and approved and nobody has put any tension on those. Thank you.

Question 2:

The Town has successfully navigated a number of financial challenges in recent years, including investments in new schools, a new fire station, and various infrastructure improvements. As a Town Councilor, what would be your top three budgetary priorities, and how do you anticipate these priorities would impact the community?

Celeste: 59:06

You know, top of the list is infrastructure. Again, we go back to the climate and the the infrastructure with

regards to the flooding. I think that's a perennial question, you know, response across the board. I was surprised to see in looking at the recent budget some reductions in (allocations to) those areas.

Next, and and this may be something that people aren't thinking of when we think about schools and attracting talent and retaining teachers and retaining folks here within the town and bringing the best of the brightest. If we need people to get grants and resources and that kind of thing, we need to look at our model compensation package. We're not going to be able to do it with outright cash, but if we can do it with benefits, you know, parental leave, those kinds of things. And then lastly, um, broaden our tax base, invest a little bit more in getting people in and out of town for the tourism, for you know, recreation, drop your cash here.

They need to know that Winthrop is open for business. We're invested in attracting them here. We want them here. We, um, constantly have reasons why we can't accomplish things. We need to bring in the resources so that we can

Question 3:

Do you believe any changes should be made to the current Town Charter? If so, what changes would you propose, and why?

Celeste: 1:09:20

Uh, my thinking is in alignment with a lot of the folks up here, too. I I don't uh even though I'm running for at large, I wouldn't recommend having a fully at large (Town Council). I think that could represent um an overly dense representation from a very small area and not do the job of really being able to do a deep dive on each section of town.

You know, that being said, I would also like to take it a step further and make sure that there were a little bit more of a distributed balance of power on the town council, which is to say to give a little bit more weight to the precinct and at large councilors as it comes to agenda initiatives and initiatives that are discussed at town council. I think the buck stops with one person at present and I think that that leaves a lot of stuff off of the table that needs to be discussed.

And then finally I would say to make sure that there are measures in place that show quick and decisive action when people have broken from protocols and broken rules and and regulations. Celeste's Closing Remarks:

1:18:15

Thank you. (I'll) give you an opportunity to learn a little bit about me. I am a wife, a mom, a daughter, a

caretaker. I am uh not a pol-sci major. I'm not a career politician.

I am bringing my complete desire to support my hometown. People question how

Winthrop I am. I'm Winthrop because I decided to purchase my home here, to

start my life with my favorite husband here. Um, to have my children and my

parents and our family come and celebrate all of the life's ups and downs.

Because I chose to roll up my sleeves, get involved in the community on the Climate Commission, on the Commission for Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Relations.

What I bring to the table is over 40 years of activism, over 30 years of work in global technology,

health care, finance, policies, procedures, compliance. I am a problem solver.

I bring a political track record of pushing back on predatory legislation. I spent over six years dodging every twist and turn that the state and its commissions could throw at me and emerged successful against over $10 million of initiatives you know levied against me and my organization.

I am rolling up my sleeves and decided to get involved because I see that we are at a time here in

Winthrop where we have more issues than solutions. We have more expenses than resources. I look on the horizon, I see that we have achieved some great things with the fire station, with the override for schools, but we cannot continue to go back to the taxpayers.

We need someone who is a problem solver, who is someone who is focused on solutions, who is not affiliated with any political party, nor have I ever been. I'm not interested in partisan politics. I do not have a personal agenda or an axe to burn.

Every time I come to Town Council or Climate Commission or um Diversity Commission, I come with an open mind and an open heart and the ardent desire to be solution focused and help bring our town, my

neighbors, my friends, my family forward.

Because I believe that everybody deserves all the support in the world to be able to live, work, raise their family, be successful.

I have the resources and the bandwidth despite having a 24/7 job, as my husband will attest, to do so. They say if you want to get something done, you ask a busy person. I'm a busy person. I'm here to roll up my sleeves and get involved.

So, thank you. Please visit my website, CelesteforWinthrop.org. I'm around town eating breakfast at any

of our local restaurants pretty much every day of the week.

So, come call me, email me, Facebook me, come have breakfast with me, talk, figure out what I'm about. Thank you. [Applause]