In Mayor Katjana’s eight years as a councilor and as the twice-elected president of the city council, Katjana has sponsored, supported and voted for many initiatives to make housing and Somerville more affordable such as; The Office of Housing Stability, Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) requiring 20% affordable units in new housing development, The 2000 Homes Program, The Ordinance for Condo Conversion, The Affordable Housing Overlay District Zoning Amendment, The Short-Term Rental Ordinance, The Community Land Trust, The Fair Housing Commission, On-Campus Housing for students, and more.
Mayor Katjana Ballantyne was awarded the Diversity Champion Award by the Lawyers for Civil Rights. This award is presented to steadfast champions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mayor Ballantyne was selected to receive this honor in 2025 based on her visionary leadership and distinguished service in helping to keep her city of Somerville vibrant, thriving, safe, and diverse.
To restore our urban ecosystem, Mayor Katjana, raised our climate goals from targeting just Net Zero—to be Carbon Negative by 2050, she directed our Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) to implement networked geothermal in Somerville, to decarbonize heating and cooling of our buildings, and much more...
To support youth and teachers, Mayor Katjana made historic budget increases in our schools, expanded out of school time programming, and opened our first three teen spaces
Launched a new program to coach Somerville students as they make the transition out of high school and into their next step be that college, training, or a career, and much more...
Mayor Katjana Ballantyne focused on an equitable COVID-19 recovery in Somerville, implementing initiatives like a guaranteed basic income pilot and a First 100-Day Agenda. Her administration prioritized equity, community engagement, and economic recovery, and much more...
For more than twenty five years, Katjana been a leader in working and advocating for basic transit infrastructure to enable walkable, transit-oriented, mixed-use development in Somerville, increasing access to jobs while decreasing traffic and emissions. Katjana will continue her leadership as mayor, to create for a connected network of accessible, complete, safe streets that works for Somerville.
The entire WHCIS community is now together in their interim home, and Mayor Ballantyne has focused her efforts on opening an entirely new facility in 2031 (That’s only six years away, when a typical school building project takes ten years or more).
“Today’s hearing was an important step, and I will continue to stand up for our community — for our rights, our safety, and our shared wellbeing,” said Mayor Katjana Ballantyne.
Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll say that Mayor Katjana "is the proven leader we need at the local level to support our administration's efforts to reduce the cost of housing, grow our economy, tackle climate change and increase opportunities for all."
Sheet Metal Workers Local #17 says Mayor Katjana "has shown unwavering support for good-paying union jobs, strong labor standards, and investment in the Somerville Community."
Pipefitters Local Union #537 Endorses Mayor Katjana for Re-Election.
"Pipefitters 537 proudly supports Somerville Mayor Ballantyne’s re-election. She’s been a steadfast advocate for union jobs, fair wages, and strong labor standards. We stand with Mayor Ballantyne because she stands with working people."-Pipefitters Local 537
Somerville City Council President Judy Pineda Neufeld Endorses Mayor Katjana Ballantyne saying Mayor Katjana's strong, steady leadership of the city is needed now more than ever.
SEIU Local 888 President says that "in these times, we need a leader who demonstrates thoughtful and equitable change. That leader is Mayor Katjana Ballantyne."
Vote Mama founder and CEO says Mayor Katjana "is exactly the kind of leader we need in every corner of the country-bold, thoughtful, and rooted in her community."
Mayor Katjana Ballantyne was awarded the Diversity Champion Award by the Lawyers for Civil Rights. This award is presented to steadfast champions of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mayor Ballantyne was selected to receive this honor in 2025 based on her visionary leadership and distinguished service in helping to keep her city of Somerville vibrant, thriving, safe, and diverse.
