Ed Flynn and Charles Delaney

Politics

Incumbent Ed Flynn is being challenged by Charles Delaney in the District 2 race.

Ed Flynn has served on the City Council since 2017. He is being challenged by Charles Delaney, who did not submit a response to questions from Boston.com.

Find out more about Ed Flynn on his website and social media. Find out more about Charles Delaney on his website.

The following responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

What is the biggest issue facing District 2 residents at the moment and what do you believe the City Council should do to address this? 

Flynn: I believe one of the biggest issues in Boston is the ongoing Mass. & Cass crisis. I represent South Boston and a large portion of the South End, which have experienced increased public safety, public health, and quality of life issues due to the Mass. & Cass crisis in the last year.

Beyond the already unacceptable conditions over the last decade, there were a series of recent residential and business break-ins, sleeping in people’s homes and cars, assaults on residents, and trespassing in backyards. In July, a child was struck by a needle in South Boston — a parent’s worst nightmare.
Any reasonable person who visits Mass. & Cass today will conclude that the city’s plan is an abject failure by any standard.

In September, Councilor John Fitzgerald and I held a hearing in the South End on my resolution to declare Mass. & Cass a public health and public safety emergency and a humanitarian crisis. I continue to advocate for zero tolerance for open-air drug dealing and public drug use, human trafficking, crime, and assaults. We need Massachusetts Criminal Justice Reform, and a state sentence is warranted for dealers who prey on our most vulnerable.

I also believe we need to shift to a treatment-first approach to address the underlying issues of addiction. Those suffering need detox and a pathway to recovery services to address the underlying mental and behavioral health issues.

It is long overdue for the city to put wish lists and other pursuits aside and make a Recovery Campus the top priority for the City of Boston. Recently, the majority of my Council colleagues voted against my proposal to ban safe injection sites. However, they also unanimously voted to support my resolution to prioritize a recovery center to address this public safety, public health, and humanitarian crisis. It is also critical that services be decentralized and spread out to other locations across the Commonwealth, as this is a statewide issue that warrants a statewide response.

What makes you stand out from the other candidate in this race? 

Flynn: Eight years ago, I ran for City Councilor for District 2 because I wanted to improve access to city services and quality of life for my neighbors and constituents. My focus remains the same today as I run for my fifth term. 

Over the last eight years, I have been dedicated to listening to my constituents in every neighborhood of District 2 and advocating for them at City Hall. I have prioritized improving public and pedestrian safety for residents, supported our working and immigrant families in earning a livable wage, increased affordable housing stock, and ensured public housing residents and all neighbors have the opportunity to voice their concerns during a genuine community process on issues impacting the city. I intend to continue giving a voice to District 2 residents in their local government and ensuring that the city has my constituents’ best interests in mind. 

I thoroughly enjoy working with the people of District 2. I’m in my District, meeting and listening to my constituents every day on how we can better deliver services and improve quality of life for all neighbors in the City of Boston. 

Do you think the public has lost faith in the City Council in recent years? If so, what do you think should be done to improve the council’s public image?

Flynn: Unfortunately, during the last several years, the City Council has lost the faith of the public due to a series of legal and ethical lapses. These distractions from a number of Councilors eroded public trust in our body. I subsequently proposed both an Ethics Committee at the City Council, followed by an outside panel made of relevant experts. Both were rejected outright by the majority of my colleagues. 

As we look ahead toward the November elections, it is important that we commit to staying focused on the people’s business. It is also critical that the Council maintains self awareness on how the public views the body over the last several years. 

In the final analysis, being a City Councilor is not at all a glamorous job. It is about showing up at City Hall every day, building relationships, working through the nuts and bolts of city government, and serving our constituents by working to address quality of life issues. 

Public trust is not given — it’s earned by showing up for work every day, listening and working in good faith with one another, being independent in the decision-making process, and through the spirit of compromise. This is what the City Council needs to return to in order to serve our neighbors most effectively.