Felix G. Arroyo begins citywide Council run


DAVID TABER

Jamaica Plain resident Felix G. Arroyo, son of former Boston City Councilor at-large Felix D. Arroyo, and current vice-chair of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council, officially began his bid for a citywide City Council seat on Election Night.

Over 70 volunteers fanned out to polling places across the city on Nov. 4, handing out flyers that said “Thank you for voting. In 2009, please consider Felix G. Arroyo—Boston City Council at-large.”

Interviewed by the Gazette shortly after the polls closed, Arroyo said his campaign is, thematically, “building off the theme of the [2008 presidential] election.”

“We are seeing records of participation at the national level and we want to
see that have an impact at the local level. That’s what we are about,” he said.

Arroyo said he wants local government to be more open, accountable and participatory.

His campaign, he said, will use a community organizing model to encourage the strengthening and expansion of neighborhood processes throughout the city.

That focus, “is evident in my work across JP.” Arroyo said. “This year I am vice-chair of the JPNC. I sit on the board of Jamaica Plain Community Centers that brings JP residents and youths together.”

Across the city, Arroyo said, “People are really expressing a desire to participate in decisions that affect their lives. We need to be committed to organizing.”

Arroyo is 29. His career includes a four-year stint as an aide to City Councilor Chuck Turner and four years as an organizer for SEIU Local 615, a union that represents about 16,000 janitors and security guards. He currently works as the field director for Northeast Action, a regional group advocating for national health care.

He said he is confident about his chances. “We had [volunteer] coverage at over 100 polling places a year [before the election],” he said.

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