Ward 7 To See City Council Race Between Romanul and Rodriguez

By Ellen Putnam

Ward 7 was the first of Melrose’s seven wards to see a competitive race develop for its City Council seat, between current City Councilor Devin Romanul and challenger Alex Rodriguez. In November, Ward 7 voters will choose between two candidates with similar values and priorities, but different visions of what the City Council can and should do to achieve those goals.

Both Romanul and Rodriguez are parents of elementary-aged children. They volunteer in their children’s schools and coach youth sports. They both deeply value the Melrose community, and each of them has shared that their main motivation for running for City Council is the desire to ensure that Melrose remains a great place to raise a family.

Romanul and Rodriguez both believe that a property tax override is needed in order to maintain city services and the quality of the Melrose Public Schools, and they have both stated that they will be voting and campaigning for the highest override amount in November. And they share a commitment to listening to and prioritizing the needs of Ward 7’s residents.

But while Romanul sees compromise and collaboration as central to his legislative work, Rodriguez seeks to upend what he sees as a culture of suppressing debate within the City Council. They are both committed to transparency and accountability, but Romanul focuses his efforts on soliciting constituent feedback and making complex budget issues accessible to the public, while Rodriguez believes that City Councilors need to ask more difficult questions and engage in more oversight.

We spoke with Romanul and Rodriguez about each candidate’s background and vision for Melrose, and how they intend to achieve their goals. You can find our profiles of each candidate below.