Episode 32: George Proakis (Watertown City Manager)

Meet George Proakis! He's the city manager for the City of Watertown. There's a lot to talk about in Watertown! We scratch the surface with:

• His background and early experiences with civil engineering, public administration, and city planning from corn fields to Assembly Row.
• The unique strengths of Watertown from its strong fiscal foundation to its regionally exceptional wedding venue.
• The documents and frameworks that influence how he approaches his job as city manager.
• The process of building a budget for the city and how the city council has chosen prioritizing new growth over raising taxes.
• There's extra money this year! What projects might that money get funneled towards?
• The strategy behind the Watertown Square Area Plan.
• The large question of how to deal with housing and real estate development in the area.
• How he addressed job vacancies and added 30 new city positions in his first 2 years.
• How thinking "abnormally" sometimes can get to solutions like Vee the Goose Dog.
• And more!

Reach out with any questions about Watertown with the city's 311 service. Call 311 (or 617-715-8660 from outside Watertown) to ask questions or report an issue.