Melrose Candidate Profile: Paul Schille For City Council

MELROSE, MA — With the Melrose Municipal Election scheduled for Nov. 7, Patch is profiling the candidates.

Here, we learn more about Paul Schille, who is among 10 candidates running for four councilor-at-large seats on the Melrose City Council.

Schille, who will be 71 as of Election Day, is retired after working in sales management and sales in the defense and electronics industries. He has never held public office.

Candidates were sent questionnaires and filled out the answers.

Name

Paul C Schille

How old will you be as of Election Day?

71

Campaign website

https://WWW.Facebook.com/PaulS...

What city or town do you live in?

Melrose

What office are you seeking?

Councilor-at-Large

Education

Bachelor of Science-Management

What is your occupation?

Last position I held for 8 years was sales director for a large Defense MFG. I retired two years ago but now work P/T as Dept. of Defense security. Before retiring, I worked for 44 years in the electronics industry in various roles such as sales manger, sales director, inside sales manager and salesperson.

Family

I have been married to my wife Debra for 45 years. We have two adult sons, Eric and Ryan and our third son, Matthew passed away 21 years ago.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

Why are you seeking this office?

I'm running for councilor-at-large in Melrose because I love this city.

I have lived in this beautiful city of Melrose for over 45 years. My wife Debra (a lifelong resident of Melrose), and I raised three sons utilizing the public schools, the many different sports offered in Melrose, and all the wonderful amenities.

For 28 years, I helped shape the youth of Melrose through coaching baseball from Little League to Melrose High. I am also a past president of both Melrose Babe Ruth and Melrose Youth Hockey. My family and I have gotten back 100 times more from Melrose than I could ever give. The love and support we received when our son Matthew Schille passed and when our house was destroyed by a fire was unbelievable. We were paralyzed by grief when Matt passed but the people of Melrose fed us and comforted us for months and when our house was destroyed by fire many in Melrose offered us housing, clothes, and food.

My family and I owe the people of this wonderful city more than I can ever repay in 10 lifetimes. As a recent retiree, I have decided to run for public office to give back to the city of Melrose for all that was given to us. I see a need for change in Melrose and I want to help.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the $130 million safety building debt exclusion ballot question. We owe it to our police and fire persons to have the best facilities, equipment, and proper staffing levels to enable them to do their job of keeping Melrose safe.

Even though I support the ballot question I have concerns if it is passed. The current administration mismanaged the current 2 1/2 override monies that were voted in for the schools. My concern is this lack of oversight could occur again only on a much larger scale. This could be a disaster for our city. Therefore, I would propose the following: I would propose and demand an oversight committee composed of the mayor, City Council president, 2 to 3 City Council members, 3 citizens, and both the police chief and the fire chief. This committee would meet every 2 weeks to discuss progress and issues and report to the City Council. There should be a late penalty negotiated with the builder in the contract. I would also propose that the city hires a company to oversee the progress, issues, etc. to the mayor, City Council, and most importantly the taxpayers of Melrose.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am retired. I can devote 100% of my time, if needed, to happily continue to make Melrose one of the most desired small cities in the country to live. I have had several management positions in my 44-year career in the electronics industry. I managed a team of 10 salespeople with a budget of $235 million. I held weekly meetings to ensure we remained on track to achieve our collective goals and to address any issues before there was a negative impact. In my last role before retiring, I was the sales director for a large defense contractor with a budget of $50 million to $100 million forecasted. I was required to report weekly; the progress, issues, and changes to the various contracts. If I am elected, I will bring the negotiating skills I developed during my career. I will bring the same discipline, accountability, responsibility, and dedication to the position of councilor-at-large.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

There are several incumbents in this election. This group of incumbents failed to pass a balanced budget. These same incumbents both, School Committee and councilor-at-large incumbents, mismanaged the current 2 1/2 override monies for the schools and have lost the trust of many Melrose voters. There has also been little to no transparency with the citizens of Melrose. It's time to vote for change.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Keeping Melrose affordable for everyone, including our elderly. Our older residents helped make Melrose the city it is today. As our city grows and as our taxes increase, we need to make sure they can afford to stay and live in Melrose. Many of our roads and sidewalks are in drastic need of repairs. Some of our sewer/water system is old and antiquated. I would search state and federal resources to help Melrose address these infrastructure issues.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As previously stated, I will bring the discipline, accountability, responsibility, dedication, and negotiating skills I developed during my 44 years in the electronics industry to the councilor-at -large elected position. On a smaller scale, I brought two local sports organizations from the brink of bankruptcy to thriving programs. When I became president of Melrose Youth Hockey the organization was $8,000 in the red and having difficulty paying for ice time. Within a four-year period, the new board and I were able to turn this around. When I retired from the position, I left the organization with a surplus of $70,000. When I became president of Melrose Babe Ruth, I faced the same challenge. A several thousand dollar deficit was going to cause MBR to disband. Within 4 years, my board and I turned this deficit into a $50,000 surplus. In both cases, hard work and diligence allowed the youth of Melrose the joy of continuing to play in these two Melrose sports.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The best advice I was given was to always think about how you can help others, it is how others will remember you.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

In closing, if elected I promise that I will always be honest with you no matter what the news is; I will always be transparent; I will propose solutions that will keep Melrose affordable for all; I will do everything within my ability to bring change; I will bring bold new leadership, bold new ideas and initiatives; and I will be your voice of reason and common sense. Please consider voting for me on November 7th and thank you.