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Eleven Cambridge City Council and School Committee candidates appeared at a Cambridge Citizens Coalition forum on Sunday night, unilaterally criticizing what they deemed as ineffective spending.
The eleven candidates, who were endorsed by the CCC super PAC on Thursday, highlighted their proposals for accountable governance and spending, and touched on student achievement gaps. Suzanne P. Blier, president of the CCC and a Harvard professor, asked questions alongside Jana Odette, treasurer and clerk of the CCC, and Harvard student Kaia A. Patterson ’27.
The CCC’s City Council endorsements include incumbents Ayesha M. Wilson and Catherine “Cathie” Zusy. They also endorsed challengers John Hanratty, Peter Hsu, Elizabeth Bisio, Zion Sherin, and write-in candidate Louise Venden.
The CCC endorsed challengers Jane S. Hirschi and Jia-Jing Lee for School Committee, along with incumbents Richard Harding Jr. and Elizabeth C.P. Hudson.
Council candidates questioned Cambridge’s current governance and recent policy orders, stressing that they would prioritize responsible spending if elected.
“We’ve believed for years that we’re the richest city around,” Hanratty said. “We’ve become addicted to spending money.”
Cambridge faced a “federal funding cliff” during the budgeting process, with the city adding only 3.9 percent to this year’s budget — a decrease from last year’s 8.8 percent increase.
Wilson questioned the May decision to close the Transition Wellness Center — one of Cambridge’s largest shelters for unhoused people — which had a much smaller price tag than other projects Cambridge undertook during her term.
“We cut the service towards the Transition Wellness Center. That was a $3 million price tag. But yet, over the next five years, we’re spending $150 million in terms of bike lanes in our streets,” Wilson said.
Zusy also questioned the cost-effectiveness of some of the city’s studies and policy orders, saying she was “concerned that Cambridge pays the Cambridge premium for goods and services consistently.”
School Committee candidates also criticized Cambridge’s spending, highlighting student achievement gaps that persist despite increased investment.
“We have no shortage of platitudes and progressive policies, but we have no progress,” Hudson said.
Candidates also lamented low standards, lack of resources for students with different learning styles, and poor teacher oversight. Incumbents Harding and Hudson specifically emphasized a lack of teacher evaluations — an issue they have consistently advocated for throughout their terms.
“With the MCAS gone, we have a rudderless system,” Harding said. “People will just decide that students are getting a good education because they say so,” he added.
“A diploma should mean that you can understand the material that’s covered in 13 years,” Hudson said. “It’s not a participation trophy.”
The School Committee passed the 2026 fiscal year budget in a 5-2 vote in April 2025, which allocates an additional $300k to teacher evaluations. Neither Hudson nor Harding voted for the budget, saying they needed more time to discuss specific allocations.
As the CCC endorsees prioritized fiscal responsibility, incumbents and challengers alike came together to advocate for budget reforms.
“This is an important election, because Cambridge faces some dire challenges, and our unlimited checkbook is disappearing,” Hanratty said.
— Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at shawn.boehmer@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.
—Staff writer Ann E. Gombiner can be reached at annie.gombiner@thecrimson.com.
—Staff writer Dionise Guerra-Carrillo can be reached at dionise.guerracarrillo@thecrimson.com.
