Weymouth Candidates Pledge Transparency and Community Engagement as Town Faces Major Development Pressures
WEYMOUTH - October 22 - Twenty-one candidates presented their visions for Weymouth’s future at a packed North Weymouth Civic Association forum on October 22, addressing issues ranging from school funding and special education advocacy to waterfront infrastructure and the looming impact of MWRA water access on development across the town.
The Full Story
The forum, held at a North Weymouth venue and broadcast by WETC, drew what organizers described as one of the largest crowds in the association’s 54-year history, with standing room only as residents gathered to hear from candidates for mayor, school committee, and town council positions ahead of the November 4 election.
Acting Mayor Mike Molisse, who assumed office in July following Mayor Bob Hedlund’s resignation after nine and a half years, emphasized his 25 years of experience on the town council, including 21 years as budget committee chairman. “The transition has been very smooth, due to my 25 years experience in the council,” Molisse said. He highlighted ongoing meetings with Mass Development and New England Development regarding the Southfield project at Union Point and various neighborhood associations.
The school committee race featured six candidates competing for available seats, with funding emerging as a critical concern. Cindy Lyons, a mother of four and director of operations at a local nonprofit, noted that the school system faced a $1.9 million budget shortfall last year, with projections suggesting an even tougher year ahead. “I think that we need to get creative and look at other ways that we can get funding done, whether it is grant writing, community partnerships,” Lyons said. She emphasized the need to address why Weymouth is “one of the number one sending districts for kids going to charter” schools.
Allegra Marrone, a 16-year educator in Revere Public Schools with two children in Weymouth schools, stressed the importance of transparency and teacher empowerment. “Our highly qualified educators should be trusted to do what they do best, teach, while adhering to the state curriculum frameworks,” Marrone said. She emphasized creating “a collaborative, inclusive environment where students excel, families feel heard, and educators are empowered.”
Kelly McClean, who holds a master’s degree in special education and previously worked for Weymouth Public Schools, distinguished herself as the only candidate with specialized seat advocacy training. “My background in special education advocacy distinguishes me from the other candidates,” McClean stated. She outlined priorities including teacher support and training in de-escalation strategies, addressing evolving space challenges, and strengthening special education services. McClean warned that all school buildings except Chapman are scheduled to fail within 25 to 30 years, noting that “we need to take steps now to ensure that Weymouth is not left with a huge emergency.”
Peter Krawciw, who served as president of Weymouth Youth Lacrosse and has a finance background, emphasized his commitment to fiscal responsibility and his family’s personal experience with both integrated programs and outer district placements for special education students. Joe Bronske, a 2016 Weymouth High School graduate and former special education student, pledged to “always advocate for special education” based on his personal experience. Ashley Dickerman, a former Brockton High School English teacher who recently revived the Weymouth Townwide Parent Council, promised to “do more listening than talking” as an elected official.
The nine candidates for five councilor-at-large positions addressed a range of municipal concerns, with development and infrastructure emerging as dominant themes. Several candidates warned that North Weymouth faces significant development pressures with the arrival of MWRA water.
Alyson Dossett, a 34-year resident and operations manager for a large hospital system overseeing 3,000 nurses, issued perhaps the forum’s most pointed warning about development pressure. “As we are on the threshold of MWRA, you are going to see an extensive amount of property acquisition across the community, and in particular in North Weymouth,” Dossett said. “North Weymouth has the ocean, and the ocean is always highly desirable for investors.” She emphasized that “neighbors should not have to band together and incur incredible legal fees” to fight inappropriate development, citing her own experience forming Friends of Fennel to defeat a development project in her neighborhood.
Fred Happel, seeking another term after first being elected in 2017, emphasized his role as chair of the Public Safety Committee and his advocacy for the opening of Fire Station 2 on Broad Street. “When Engine 1 on North Street has a call, it takes them out of service in this area. If another emergency happens, now the response will be coming from Broad Street instead of the Winter Street station,” Happel explained. He identified priorities including solving the water problem, developing Union Point, and addressing the federal government’s withdrawal of funds for the Four Points seawall.
Rick Coughlin, unable to attend due to a family commitment, had his statement read by a proxy. Coughlin, a third-generation resident and founder of Coughlin & Company Real Estate, highlighted progress in North Weymouth including renovation of Abigail Adams Park and improvements at Beals Park. “For too long, North Weymouth has been one of the town’s forgotten villages. That’s changing,” his statement read. He expressed support for revitalizing Bicknell Square and noted his opposition to the Maryknoll project, which “sought to build a 40,000-square-foot structure with 48 units” that was “completely out of scale for the neighborhood.”
Andrew Donovan, Director of Business Development at Bentley University and a 21-year Weymouth resident active in youth sports, outlined three main priorities: “safety, services and systems.” He emphasized ensuring fire and emergency personnel grow with the town’s expansion, maintaining services for seniors amid new assisted living facilities, and ensuring infrastructure including water and power meet the needs of the growing community.
Stephen Shinney, a lifelong North Weymouth resident and 19-year member of IBEW Local 103 who also serves as president of the Weymouth Vietnam Memorial, emphasized keeping the community positive and advocating for residents. “You see some of the other pages in Weymouth, they’re negative. Not here in North Weymouth. We’re positive, we uplift, and that’s what I want to be part of,” Shinney said. He highlighted the need for public safety improvements, including better emergency communications, and “smart, common sense building” that listens to community input.
Chris Heffernan, seeking his third term after first running in 2017, reflected on the Great Recession’s impact on Weymouth, when Town Hall closed on Wednesdays to save money. “Those experiences stayed with me. They gave me a real appreciation for how local government decisions affect everyday life and how important it is to protect a community’s financial stability,” Heffernan said. He noted that “Weymouth’s finances are stable, even as other communities struggle with deficits or rely on multiple overrides just to sustain basic services.”
Pascale Burga, the current District 1 councilor and first female Vice President of the Weymouth Town Council who will become interim President in November, highlighted accomplishments including advocacy for the Beals Park project and blocking several inappropriate development proposals. She identified MWRA water as “one of the most important issues to affect our town” in recent years, noting it will provide “a clean source of water for generations to come” with no PFAS contamination. Burga emphasized that state mandates are driving development pressure and stressed the importance of electing officials “that understand these issues going forward.”
The District 1 race featured incumbent Burga against challenger Kathy Rober Kelly, a lifelong North Weymouth resident and high school security officer. Kelly explained her motivation for running stemmed from a personal experience when her home was threatened by a local issue and she received an inadequate response from town officials. “When the safety is compromised, we deserve leaders who stand beside us, listen with heart, and fight for what’s right,” Kelly said. She highlighted the Four Point Road seawall as a major safety concern, questioning how emergency vehicles could reach residents during storms when flooding closes the road. Kelly received an endorsement from Weymouth Firefighters Local 1616.
The forum began with a moment of silence for Jim Melody, a candidate for councilor at large who recently passed away. Organizer Jeff acknowledged that John Peruzzi, one of the Civic Association’s founders who traditionally sings the national anthem, was recovering at home from a fall and unable to attend.
Throughout the evening, candidates emphasized their commitment to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement. Multiple candidates stressed the importance of forums like this one in an era of declining local newspaper coverage, with WETC’s broadcast ensuring residents unable to attend could still hear candidates’ positions.
Why It Matters
The November 4 election will determine Weymouth’s leadership as the town faces critical challenges including school funding shortfalls, aging infrastructure, development pressures intensified by MWRA water access, and the ongoing development of the massive Union Point project. The incoming mayor and council will need to balance growth mandates from the state with community character preservation, address a school system losing students to charter schools while facing budget constraints, and manage infrastructure needs including a seawall that threatens resident safety during storms. With several incumbents facing challengers and new voices entering the conversation, voters will decide whether to maintain continuity or embrace change as Weymouth navigates these complex issues.
Meeting Minutes
Public Comment
This was a candidate forum organized by the North Weymouth Civic Association. The format allowed each candidate five minutes to introduce themselves and explain their platform, with candidates speaking in ballot order. The event drew one of the largest crowds in the association’s 54-year history, demonstrating strong community interest in local government. Attendees had the opportunity to speak with candidates individually after presentations concluded.
What’s Next
The municipal election will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Voters will select one mayor, school committee members, five councilors at large, and district councilors. Early voting is available prior to Election Day. The full forum is available for viewing through WETC for residents who wish to review candidate statements before casting their votes.