Ward 8 Councilor candidate Cathyann Harris

A native of New England, Cathyann Harris grew up in Litchfield, Maine and moved to Waltham’s South Side 25 years ago.

An avid gardener and beekeeper, Harris said she brought her passions with her and grows hydrangeas at her home in the Whittemore neighborhood.

Harris said she has traveled around the country and has yet to find anywhere else with community togetherness that rivals Waltham. The city, she said, comes together to help anyone in need and is an example of school spirit, strong youth sports and diverse culture visible in the local arts scene.

Nonprofit work, she said, plays a large role in her life. She has been a board member of the Salvation Army in Waltham for nearly a decade, an active volunteer with Opportunities for Inclusion and helped plan A Special Day in Waltham in partnership with the Massachusetts Special Olympics.

“I’m always looking for ways to help out everyone in the community,” Harris said, “not necessarily just those that would vote, but everybody who would participate in anything we have going on.”

For Harris, it’s about more than just acknowledging the value of a strong community, it’s about being an active participant. She has helped the Whittemore Elementary School parent-teacher organization provide free events for parents and student enrichment like field trips.

“I’ve always had an interest in community services and would continue to do so whether I was in office or not. I love this community and love how it comes together,” Harris said.

Sometimes being active in the community means being able to adapt. Harris said the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Waltham has steered families away from resources such as food pantries and free school supplies, so she worked with local nonprofits to find alternative ways to get families support and resources.

Harris said that while she has confirmed that neither Waltham police nor other city departments are  working with ICE, she understands the fear that her government position can bring up. Her connections and experience working in nonprofits, she said, allow her to still be involved indirectly.

Harris is active on social media and said being both transparent and accessible to residents through her newsletter, office hours and community outreach is crucial as part of her position.

“People know that they can reach out to me and I will get back to them,” Harris said. “We are elected for a particular district to serve that district top to bottom, and that’s what we should be doing as ward councilors.”

In 2009, as a young homeowner, Harris said she attended city meetings and, using her background in project management, planning and budgeting as a project office director, she became involved in the city’s master planning.

Harris said she worked alongside former Ward 8 Councilor Stephen Rourke on several traffic safety initiatives, such as updating traffic patterns to make drop-offs at Whittemore Elementary School safer and installing a traffic light at High Street, Hamblin Road and Joyce Road following eight accidents at the intersection in a year.

When Rourke left the seat, Harris said it felt natural to consider taking over the role so she could continue her advocacy on a more permanent level. Now, eight years later, Harris is running unopposed for another term.

“My neighbors came over and said, ‘We’d like you to run’ and helped me form a campaign and a committee and the rest is history,” Harris said. “I’ve been a proud member of the Waltham City Council on the South Side for Ward 8 ever since and I hope to always do good there.”

She said serving Ward 8, which includes the downtown, comes with unique challenges, such as traffic, public safety, housing growth and sanitation.

In collaboration with Ward 9 Councilor Robert G. Logan, she has helped tackle rat-related issues in a variety of ways such as supporting trash and dumpster ordinances, supporting the installation of solar trash compactors and advocating to ban rodenticide at the state level.

Harris said she and Logan are committed to increasing green and recreational spaces on the South Side as well. She said the pair plan to make recreational upgrades such as pickleball courts at the Jack Koutoujian Playground on Moody Street and demolish a building at the Fitch School property to create a park.

For eight years, Harris said she has attended Traffic Commission meetings. Continuing to advocate for and install speed cushions and stop signs as well as maintain crosswalks, Harris said, are ways she plans to address traffic concerns.

Additionally, Harris said she will continue listening to resident concerns about housing. Diversity in housing, she said, is something she will continue to support. Blindly increasing the number of developments on the densely populated South Side isn’t the solution, according to Harris.

“Wards 8 and 9 are not just cut-through streets, they’re neighborhoods,” she said. “People are excited about getting additional housing options, but they don’t want to lose the character of the community.”

As chair of the City Council’s Ordinances and Rules Committee, Harris said Waltham’s zoning needs to remain competitive. She said the city can balance land use, homeowner concerns and a growing downtown area through a complete review of zoning. The city’s low residential tax rate, she said, is a result of a high commercial property tax rate.

“Looking at those modern definitions of new manufacturing, biotech, life sciences and healthcare, we want to keep those sectors alive and well in our community but also attract more of it,” she said.

Harris said her favorite spots in Waltham are the vibrant and diverse culture and restaurant scene on Moody Street and the glimpse into the city’s industrial history provided by the Riverwalk and the Watch Factory.

“I’m glad to see that the building was able to be preserved,” she said, “it’s so beautiful at sunset along the Charles River.”