Jass Stewart :: City Councilor at Large
Jass Stewart :: City Councilor at Large

Accomplishments

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When you elected me to the Brockton City Council, I promised one thing: to always work for you.

I've stood up for what’s right, even in the face of entrenched opposition. I've acted outside of the box, even as the “establishment” tried to box us in. And I've never lost sight of the people who put me into office.

As Henry Ford said, "You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do," but on what you've accomplished.

So here's my record as an elected official:

BEFORE I joined the City Council, hiring was done with the friends and family plan. I pushed through reform despite entrenched opposition. NOW Brockton has a new anti-nepotism policy to ensure everybody has a fair shot at a city job.

BEFORE I joined the City Council, Brockton poured hundreds of millions of dollars into big banks. I lobbied for the city to divest taxpayers' dollars from these banks because of the foreclosure crisis. NOW Brockton is investing more than $170 million in community banks.

BEFORE I joined the City Council, appointments of high-profiled individuals—some making over $100,000 a year—were approved without even a resume on hand. I drafted and passed legislation that put a stop to this. NOW resumes are mandatory.

And BEFORE I joined the City Council, city meetings with agendas, ordinances, and recreational calendars were practically inaccessible. I led the effort to make city government more transparent. NOW this information is easily accessible online.

Other noteworthy accomplishments include:

  • Being accessible and responsive by attending more than 1,000 public events and responding to over 800 calls;
  • Leading a trade mission to Cape Verde to help Brockton businesses enter CV's $2 billion market;
  • Voting against every tax and fee increase on the middle class and insisting that city government work smarter;
  • Strengthening my opposition to the power plant by advocating for a contingency plan to ensure residents are fully protected no matter the outcome;
  • Putting competence first, not political party, and endorsing two results-oriented Republicans;
  • Initiating a new communications procedure to ensure City Councilors receive immediate, official updates about major city events;
  • Jump-starting three major initiatives focused on innovation, HIV home testing, and youth entrepreneurship;
  • Passing a resolution supporting the DJ Henry family’s call for an independent investigation into their son’s tragic death;
  • Working with the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department to secure retinal-scanning system for Brockton's police department—free of charge;
  • Launching five study groups that outlined concrete recommendations for accountability, jobs, education, safety, and neighborhoods;
  • And much, much more!

Henry Ford was right. The best predictor of future performance is past performance.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the community of Brockton. We are making a difference!

Jass Stewart
 

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