Jones Says Marlborough Needs a Fresh Perspective

Leading up to election day, Marlborough Patch is publishing a series of interviews with each of the three mayoral candidates.

Democratic mayoral candidate Matthew Jones, a Marlborough resident of eight years, will be running in the upcoming preliminary election to be held October 4.

"I'm running for mayor because I'm invested in the community. Our twins (nine years old) are in the , which is one of the driving forces," he said. "What I do as an attorney is help people and solve problems, which is what local government should be about. The city's got an excellent financial situation right now, but there are places where we can improve. My skill set will suit me well if elected mayor."

Jones continued, "I haven't previously held any elected positions, but  I see that as a plus in this political environment because I'm coming to the table with a clean slate and not in anyone's back pocket. I'll be working with department heads with a fresh and energized perspective, which is unique from other candidates."

He is a member of the Rotary Club and and is an active member of The Friends of Marlborough Seniors.

Jones' campaign platform focuses on schools, safety and security (police, fire and department of public works services), senior services, and stimulating economic growth. He claims safety and security are his top priority, as he explained in a recent .

If elected mayor, Jones claims his administration will have an open door policy to encourage residents to talk to him directly about their concerns. Regarding the proposed new senior center, Jones noted "If elected mayor, I would build a coalition of city councilors who want to get it done. I think it's a feasible project. Right now our bond rating is so good that we can do this project at an extremely low interest rate."

When questioned about economic and job growth within the community, Jones responded, "I'll work with the Chamber of Commerce and Marlborough Economic Development Corporation to focus on high tech and bio tech companies. We have to compete with neighboring towns and sell Marlborough to businesses. The next mayor has to go out there and court those businesses."

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