City Council Notepad: David P. Maher

David P. Maher wanted to be a voice of reason on the City Council.

When election results rolled in a week ago, a tense Maher looked to do just that. He pushed past a three-term incumbent to win the final spot on the council.

"My belief is there's a huge void of common sense, level headed thinking" Maher told the Cambridge Chronicle. "I can provide that same type of stability and leadership on the council."

Top goals for Maher, beyond being a mediator on the sometimes-contentious council, include 'thoughtful' development and working on affordable housing for middle-class residents.

Most of all, though, he just wants to get all the councillors listening to each other.

"I think we have to put the personalities aside," Maher told the Chronicle. "We have a fragmented council. Some councilors don't speak to each other."

Maher also says he wants Harvard and MIT to have more of an involvement in the community, in terms of both accepting students and hiring employees.

--KGS