UCANE Interview

RepResentative ted philips

(D-Sharon)

Representative Ted Philips has been interested in serving in government since his days on the Student Council back in high school. After graduating UMass Amherst with a degree in Political Science, he started working in the State House for (now-retired) State Senator Stephen M. Brewer of Barre doing constituent services. A year later, he took the opportunity to ‘come home’ to Sharon and work for the district he grew up in for his predecessor State Representative Lou Kafka; Representative Philips then won the seat in 2020, when Representative Kafka decided to retire.

Q: As you are aware, access to clean drinking water and proper management of wastewater is critical. Please discuss your thoughts relative to the importance of maintaining our drinking water, wastewater, and underground utility infrastructure.

A: I have the privilege of representing a district that has both MWRA and nonMWRA communities, and maintaining these three systems (drinking water, wastewater, and utility infrastructure) is incredibly important for different reasons. Making sure that all three are functioning as efficiently and safely as possible is good for our environment; in Sharon, maintaining the systems that deliver our wellwater translates to lower levels of iron and manganese that won’t cause problems like discoloration for residents. In Stoughton, projects like the Park Street Sewer Expansion will unlock major economic development projects in the industrial park on Campanelli Drive near Route 24. So taking care of, and when possible improving, these resources is going to have lasting positive effects for my district and the region.

Q:

growth? As we recover from the pandemic, what are the greatest challenges for your district and region with regard to economic

A: Priority Number One is to make sure that we get through the pandemic safely and not lose any more small businesses, who have really taken it on the chin over the last year. As we recover from the pandemic, I expect many companies will be re-evaluating their operations like work-fromhome and what their workspaces look like. We need to be as flexible as possible from a governmental standpoint in order to not get in the way of their adapting to this paradigm shift and helping to ensure they come back stronger than before.

Q: COVID-19 has led to fiscal uncertainty this upcoming year for cities and towns. Please give us your thoughts on how the state will continue to support local aid to cities and towns to help support basic municipal services, specifically water infrastructure.

A: The Senate elections in Georgia last month have left us much more hopeful for a COVID-19 stimulus bill at the federal level, which will include money for state andlocal governments; should that come through, I think we may be able to plug the anticipated holes and level-fund local aid for FY22. It is my hope that the legislature will put another infrastructure bond bill on the Governor’s Desk this session to keep projects

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