I'm Bill Humphrey, Ward Councilor for Ward 5 in Newton. My first year in office has been very different from the one I expected, as I know the past year has been for all of you.

Our community has met the incredible challenges of a global pandemic, acting together even as we were kept apart – to help each other stay safe, stay whole, and stay housed. I have been proud to stand with you all in this time of unprecedented pressure and enormous loss.

We were called upon to shoulder a great collective responsibility to one another, and we continue to be, even as we see a light ahead at last.

This past year, I heard from you every day, even when we could not meet in person, and I communicated with you regularly in return.

I’m proud of the work I’ve done on your behalf in committee and before the full Council. I've brought a valuable new perspective to the City Council that has informed how decisions in our community are made during this uniquely challenging time.

We have continued each month to tackle environmental and housing questions, and we remain committed to investing in city programs and services for seniors, youth, and families – even as we undertook the unforeseen pandemic responses and engaged in debates on policing.

Serving you in this term has been an incredible honor, and today I ask for your support this fall for a second term, so I can continue to serve you on the City Council and keep forging ahead on all that we have begun this year.

In the coming recovery period, we’ll be at a crossroads of enormous potential and opportunity to become the community for everyone that I know we can be. We must take the path of bold actions and commit ourselves firmly to building a brighter future together. I hope you will stand with me once again in this effort.