Jack Richardson, Third Barnstable candidate, highlights local record and priorities on housing, water and utilities

Jack Richardson, a candidate for the Third Barnstable district in the Massachusetts House, outlined his background and priorities in an interview on Mashpee TV, saying his campaign will emphasize wastewater treatment, housing affordability and local control over utilities.

"I'm a lifelong Cape Codder," Richardson said, describing his work as district director for State Senator Julian Fernandez and his brief tenure as the youngest member of the Falmouth Select Board. He said his team "secured over $36 million in earmarks" during his first year in the senator's office to fund projects across the South Shore and Upper Cape.

Richardson pointed to several local actions he helped advance in Falmouth as examples of practical results. He said the town adopted a residential tax-exemption at the 10% level that "is going to save an average of $400 a year per household" for year-round residents, and that town meeting later placed sensitive watershed land into permanent conservation after he opposed a proposed police-station site in the Long Pond watershed.

On immigration enforcement, Richardson said he authored a local policy to restrict Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from operating on town property without a judicial warrant. "We believe in due process," he said, presenting the policy as a local protection of residents' rights.

Wastewater and land conservation are central themes of his platform. Richardson said towns need a funding mechanism to acquire land around ponds and watersheds to protect drinking water and help keep housing affordable. He criticized parts of the state's affordable-housing law implementation, saying developers often build the minimum number of affordable units and that area median income (AMI) metrics make many so-called affordable units out of reach for local workers.

To expand housing without new construction or added wastewater load, Richardson described a "lease to locals" tax-exemption program passed in Falmouth that applies to rentals up to 200% of AMI. He estimated the program could cost the town "an absolute maximum" of about $600,000 a year while producing hundreds of units for people who live and work locally.

Richardson discussed upgrades to the Falmouth Housing Authority, saying he helped overhaul its website to allow online rent payments and multilingual access, and that he secured budget funds to add community garden space on housing parcels.

On utilities, Richardson argued that Cape towns pay higher electric rates under investor-owned Eversource and said municipalities should explore alternative ownership models. He cited municipal light boards elsewhere and urged consideration of undergrounding lines after storm damage. He suggested exploring local clean-energy projects, cited a $4.5 million grant Falmouth won for geothermal work at schools and proposed pilot hydro projects in strong canal currents.

Richardson said his campaign is focused on door-to-door outreach and community engagement: "We've knocked over 2,000 doors on this campaign." He noted the district's median home price is "over $900,000," using that figure to illustrate affordability challenges for working families.

Richardson is running as a Democrat and said he is uncontested in the Sept. 1 primary; the general election is scheduled for Nov. 3. He provided campaign contact information on the program: website jackprichardson.com, phone 508-566-5114 and email jack@jackprichardson.com. Richardson said a campaign office will open July 1 in East Falmouth.