Ward 6 Councilor candidate Sean T. Durkee

Sean T. Durkee has lived in Waltham for 43 years, moving away when he was 10 years old and returning in adulthood. This puts him in a unique position. “The townies think I’m an outsider, so they hate me, and the outsiders think I’m a townie, so they hate me. Everyone hates me equally,” he joked.

Durkee lives in The Highlands neighborhood. He first decided to run for the Ward 6 Councilor position in 2019 because he wanted to help the diverse population of Waltham with anything, from helping families advocate for the installation of an accessible parking spot to making sure city landscaping is well maintained.

Like all ward councilor candidates this year, Durkee is unopposed.

He said he thinks the fact that people want to move to Waltham is a sign of the community’s success. 

Durkee has volunteered with the Waltham Arts Council and served as commander of VFW Post 2152 in the past. He is currently a part of the Waltham Trailrunners and serves on the board of the Charles Webster Potter Place Clubhouse. 

Durkee tries to attend as many events as he can but said his monthly service to the National Guard leads him to miss some gatherings. He has written resolutions to support homeless veterans as well as celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of independence, both of which have been passed through City Council.

Durkee’s favorite outdoor spots in the city include the top of Prospect Hill and the Moody Street Dam, where he likes to watch the blue herons. Durkee said he loves the library and remembers enjoying storytime there as a child. He is involved with expansion planning for the library, which is just one of the six additional committees he serves on for the city.

Infrastructure is a particular concern for Durkee, who has observed gas leaks occurring in his ward due to aging pipes. He would like to have those pipes replaced. In addition to this, Durkee would like to see better maintained roads in his ward, noting that his ward has had only two roads repaved in the last six years. If reelected, Durkee said he will work to make sure his ward receives the updated infrastructure it needs.

In conversations about housing in the city, Durkee said he thinks it’s important to highlight Waltham’s contributions to the low-income housing market in Greater Boston. Waltham’s abundance of group homes for populations such as disabled adults and LGBTQ+ youth as well as low-income housing units serve not only current residents but also people from surrounding towns who need places to live. “We continue to be a giving community,” said Durkee. Durkee said he would like to work to see Waltham compensated by Greater Boston communities that send residents to Waltham for housing placements, as he feels that Waltham absorbs social issues that other cities do not have resources to deal with.

Durkee said he believes the city’s government has room for improvement in terms of transparency. He believes efforts such as recording committee meetings and Councilor-at-Large Colleen Bradley-MacArthur’s resolution to make all city meeting notices digital instead of posted on a bulletin board at City Hall are great starts.

Durkee has been an advocate for mental health, introducing the Mental Health Awareness Resolution in June 2025. He wants to continue emphasizing mental health in his next term if reelected. He also wants to continue support to Opportunities for Inclusion in honor of his late cousin as well as Greater Waltham Recovery Solutions.

Public safety is important to Durkee, who said he believes the Waltham Police Department is “20 to 25 years ahead” of most police departments. He cited the department’s decision not to collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, its respectful treatment of  homeless individuals and people with drug addictions, and WPD’s mental health task force as unique facets that help make Waltham a better place.

In the future Durkee said he hopes to see more competition for ward councilor seats, noting that the last time that no seats were challenged was in 2007. “I hope this is a one-time thing and not a trend,” he said.