March 10, 2021
Jonathan Spillane, a Hyde Park native, is the latest candidate to add his name to the pool of at-large city council candidates. Spillane, 29, recently took a leave of absence as Councillor Kenzie Bok’s director of budget in order to campaign.
Currently a Beacon Hill resident, Spillane recently took the Bar Exam after attending Suffolk Law School and is a graduate of Boston College and Boston Latin School.
Spillane has family in the Boston Police Department and said he believes he can bring a unique perspective on policing issues to the 13-member council.
“We can reimagine the way that we can provide public safety,” Spillane said.
He also he wants to bring his background in commercial real estate and his experience with the Department of Neighborhood Development to the city council and elevate the discussion around affordable housing.
As part of his housing platform, Spillane would like to change the way the Zoning Board of Appeals works, and have two meetings a month as opposed to a singular meeting and “make the process more efficient for both.”
One meeting, he suggests, could be focused solely for smaller projects, such as a homeowner wanting to add a deck onto a structure, and the other could be for larger commercial projects.
Candidates for council at-large are required to get a minimum of 1,500 certified signatures from city voters to make the ballot. Nomination papers will be made available on April 13.