Neighborhood Connect • Fall '26 • WARD 3

Somerville’s Ward 3 Neighborhood Connect community meeting, held October 27, 2026, featured remarks from Mayor Ben You and Kempner, Ward 3 City Councilor Ben You and Kempner, and city staff. The mayor said the City Council approved the city’s lean, sustainable budget without a motion to cut it, while providing Somerville Public Schools the largest dollar increase in their history; no amount was stated. The discussion also covered Ward 3 transportation-safety work, including the MBTA Connector and Somerville Avenue quick-build improvements, and the Winter Hill School replacement, whose projected arrival timeline was advanced from December 2031 to February 2031. No contract awards, bids, RFPs, vendors, or specific procurement actions were identified.

Other topics included rising water and sewer rates to support sewer separation and reduce combined sewer overflows; housing development and efforts to improve permitting; school maintenance, public safety, winter services, and city performance data. The mayor also described plans to improve cross-department collaboration and permitting processes. These infrastructure and service priorities may lead to future spending or procurement, but no related purchasing decisions or votes were reported beyond approval of the overall budget.