Matt O'Malley

Matt O’Malley is an American politician who serves as a member of the Boston City Council. He was elected as the District 6 representative in a special election on November 16, 2010, and was reelected in 2011, 2013, and 2015.^[1] His district includes the neighborhoods of West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain and parts of Roslindale and Mission Hill. Councilor O’Malley grew up in Roslindale and now resides in Jamaica Plain with his wife, Kathryn Niforos. Other political experience includes staffing the campaigns of former Massachusetts Treasurer Steve Grossman and former Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral.

In the 2013 election, O’Malley won 18,204 votes, or 85% of the District, beating the record for most votes ever received by a district city councilor, previously held by outgoing mayor, Thomas M. Menino. ^[2]

O’Malley is a member of the Democratic State Committee and the Advisory Committee for Project Hope, an anti-poverty agency in Boston. He also raised funds through the Boston Marathon for Children’s Hospital and Habitat for Humanity, Greater Boston.

Early Life and Career

O’Malley grew up in Roslindale and now owns a home in Jamaica Plain. He is a graduate of Boston Latin School as well as the George Washington University, where he studied Political Science and English.

In high school, O’Malley served as an intern at City Hall for former At-Large City Councilor, Peggy Davis-Mullen, and as a Ward Fellow for former State Treasurer, Joe Malone, which he says “helped shape my interest in local government.”^[3] His professional political experience began in managing the campaign for Suffolk County Sheriff Andrea Cabral in 2004, the first female in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts history to hold the position. O’Malley also served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for Suffolk County, where he worked to implement numerous crime prevention initiatives.^[4] For the following two years, O’Malley served as the political director for MassEquality. Aditionally, O’Malley spent some time working as a political consultant for both the Steven Grossman and Stephen Pagliuca campaigns respectively. In 2010, Matt O'Malley was elected for City Council during a special election.

City Council

O’Malley Chairs the Environment and Parks Committee, and is co-chair of the Education committee and the Arts and Culture committee.^[5]

He also serves on the City Council Committees on Arts & Culture, Ways & Means, and the Special Committee on Charter Reform. In 2012 and 2013 Councilor O’Malley served as Chair of the City Council’s Government Operations Committee and as Chair of the Environment Committee in 2011.^[6]

Legislation

2015-Present

In 2016 O’Malley successfully passed an ordinance regarding the elimination of gas leaks in the City of Boston following a hearing on the environmental and economic impacts of gas leaks the year before. Docket #0622 aims to eliminate gas leaks in the City of Boston within six years of the passage of the ordinance. Earlier that year, O’Malley passed an ordinance dubbed the “Puppy Mill Bill,” that would prohibit pet shops in Boston from selling dogs, cats or rabbits and would prevent animal sales in public parks and on city streets. As a result, Boston joined more than 120 municipalities that have banned the sale of commercially bred puppies and kittens from pet shops. Its aim was to . Its aim was to diminish large-scale breeding facilities employed by these commercial facilities, many of which have multiple violations of the Federal Animal Welfare Act.

In early 2015, O’Malley introduced hearing to explore the installation of sunscreen dispenser stations in Boston Parks. With the backing of the Melanoma Research Foundation, the order was successfully passed, and over sixty dispensers were installed in various locations around the city of Boston.

2012-2014

O’Malley introduced a hearing order to explore curbside composting in Boston. His hearing on ways to reduce to litter in Boston lead to the creation of Clean Boston Task Force, a group of Boston residents who meet to discuss problem areas in Boston, and solutions that have worked in their communities.

O’Malley’s pushed for paperless pay stubs for City of Boston employees, and continues working toward increasing the availability of tap water in open spaces and parks across Boston. In 2012 he pushed for new energy-saving considerations in City buildings such as City Hall to measure how much energy it was using and whether or not it was efficient.

2010-2011

O’Malley pushed for the expansion of a drug drop off program in Boston as well as the creation of a Silver Alert system for citizens with Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairments. He has held public hearings to discuss vacated public school buildings, Arborway Year in Jamaica Plain, and snow removal jurisdiction (City B).

References

2. http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/councillors/omalley.asp