By Mary Carr Lee, Mayors Innovation Project
During her two terms in office, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne helped steer Somerville through rapid change while keeping equity and inclusion at the center of city decision making. Drawing on her immigrant background and city council experience, she focused on ensuring Sommerville’s growth benefits long-time residents, low-income families, and unsheltered neighbors alike.
Ballantyne’s tenure has consistently been guided by a philosophy of inclusive leadership, one she often credits to her own journey and the lessons learned in valuing difference.
A Foundation of Inclusive Leadership
Mayor Ballantyne believes that a city thrives only when everyone, regardless of background, has a voice. “My biggest accomplishment is giving people who are most impacted by the policies that we develop a seat at the table,” she reflected. She effectively normalized inclusive leadership as an expectation, ensuring diverse representation on task forces and consistently bringing the community directly to the policy table. “Everyone can thrive together,” she has often stated, summarizing her vision for a truly equitable Somerville.
Transforming Housing Affordability
One of the most defining issues of her administration was the city’s severe affordability crisis. Recognizing that Somerville’s future depends on its ability to retain its diverse population, Mayor Ballantyne launched comprehensive affordable housing and anti-displacement initiatives. Her administration leveraged strategic re-zoning and negotiated substantial community benefits from new development. The financial results are monumental: her efforts generated approximately $255 million in community benefits, of which a staggering $217–$220 million was directed to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. “The goal is to fund our values. I’ve added 34% to our school budget in four years, created a daytime Engagement Center, and 1,000 affordable housing units are now in the pipeline,” says Ballantyne. These actions aimed to protect long-time residents and low-income families from displacement.
Funding Our Values: Budgeting and Economic Development
Mayor Ballantyne’s forward-thinking approach extended to City finances. She successfully began shifting Somerville away from relying almost entirely on a residential tax base by strategically attracting new major employers and planning for future commercial growth. This growth was essential for enabling long-term, sustainable investment in the city’s priorities. To ensure residents could access the new jobs, the administration funded and expanded a Jobs Trust Fund dedicated to skills training.
Mayor Ballantyne implemented two rounds of participatory budgeting, giving residents a direct say in how funds are spent. This was most evident in the allocation of $77 million in ARPA funds. Following a robust community engagement process, the funds were shaped into clear priorities: $44 million for infrastructure and $33 million for rental assistance, small business aid, youth, education, and seniors. This led to innovative programs like flexible rental assistance and a guaranteed basic income pilot, which also served to combat the stigma around poverty by demonstrating residents’ responsible use of the funds.
A Legacy of Intentional Planning
The mayor’s tenure also saw innovative zoning, such as the development of “tough tech” zoning that successfully mixed artist live–work spaces with startups and mixed-use development, protecting Somerville’s high-density arts community. She also advanced the Somerville Climate Forward plan, utilizing task forces to involve residents in major planning decisions, from climate initiatives to zoning.
As she prepares to assist with the transition to her successor, Mayor Ballantyne leaves behind a Somerville fundamentally changed by her leadership. As Somerville continues to evolve, these initiatives leave a lasting foundation: a more resilient tax base, deeper community engagement, and stronger protections for those most at risk of being left behind. Mayor Ballantyne’s legacy is a city that not only plans for the future but does so by intentionally centering its values.