HARMONY LARSON
City Council, Ward 7 Candidate
Thank you for your support during the 2023 municipal election!
I learned so much and met many wonderful people along the way. Please see my Letter to the Editor at the Community Advocate for some key takeaways from this experience. I hope my campaign will inspire others to run for office. I will strongly consider running for the Ward 7 seat again in 2025. In the meantime, I look forward to continuing to serve my community as Secretary of the Marlborough Cultural Council, board member for Marlboro Youth Soccer, and other civic activities.
ABOUT HARMONY
I chose to run because, like a lot of residents in Ward 7, I wanted a choice on election day. I am also running to set an example for my children. I want my kids to understand that not everyone agrees about what the most important issues are, never mind how to address them. In order to think critically, first we all need to know what is going on in our City and why. As a City Councilor, I will work hard to make sure residents have more equitable and more convenient ways to access information and have a voice in the conversations that are shaping the future of Marlborough.
My husband and I have lived in Marlborough since 2009. We have three children attending Marlborough Public Schools so I'm very invested in seeing our school community thrive. I currently serve as Secretary of the Marlborough Cultural Council and I will continue to support arts and culture as a City Councilor. We have an incredible opportunity to foster a strong creative economy that will benefit local artists as well as residents and businesses.
I have spent most of my career as a marketing and communications leader including over a decade in the architecture and development industry. I know that development projects have an impact on existing residents and need to be done in a thoughtful way that includes community engagement. I look forward to bringing that perspective to the Council.
If elected, I will bring new energy and new ideas to this role. Thank you for the opportunity to serve!
I would be grateful for your support and honored to be elected as Ward 7 City Councilor on November 7!
IDEAS
As a City Councilor, I will be an advocate for more transparency and better communication. I will ask a lot of questions and I will do my homework because we need to make decisions based on data. We can also learn a lot from other communities who have tackled some of the same issues we face.
Our schools, roads and core City services need ongoing investment. I will support infrastructure improvements, building projects and plans to add key expertise to help Marlborough evolve in a smart, intentional way.
In addition to doing the fundamentals well, I believe Marlborough needs to try some new things. I will bring an open mind and plenty of creativity to this role. Here are just a few of my ideas:
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Share proposed development and capital improvement plans in an accessible format and offer convenient feedback options (an app, for example)
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Create a transparent approval process for public art to support local artists and our business community while beautifying our City
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Launch a Youth Volunteer Corp so our tweens and teens can develop work skills and build stronger connections to their community
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Build a pipeline of diverse City leaders through mentorship, civic education programs and increased transparency
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Publish a list of planned road projects and share the criteria used to prioritizes repairs