Framingham Mayoral Candidates Sisitsky and Epstein Face Off in Debate

FRAMINGHAM - Charlie Sisitsky and Geoff Epstein, the two candidates for mayor in Framingham this fall, took part in a debate on Sunday, September 30, ahead of the municipal election.

The incumbent Sisitsky is seeking his second term as the mayor of the city after initially being elected in 2021. Epstein, a former member of the School Committee in both Framingham (from 2018 to 2021) and Newton, filed paperwork to run for mayor in January.

The debate—which was hosted by Access Framingham at the Framingham Public Library’s main branch—dove into development, education, immigration, and transparency policies between the two candidates.

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Regarding local development project, Epstein said the most important thing for a mayor to do is to consult with residents on any proposals to create housing. He told debate attendees that his top priority on this matter is to speak with constituents and see what they want. Epstein said there have been “assaults” on local neighborhoods, notably on Nobscot through pitches to develop a plot of land by the intersection of Edgell Road and Edmands Road. He believes Nobscot neighbors were “enflamed” due to a lack of communication or outlets for input, adding that he wants developments that brings revenue streams into the community while placing high-density residencies in areas where they make sense.

“I bring analysis and analytics and measurability to all of these things, which has not been done to this point,” Epstein told attendees on Sunday.

Epstein believes that overdevelopment for housing could hinder local open spaces and environmental resources while also potentially overwhelming the local school system due to more families moving into Framingham; he thinks the latter outcome could lead to a loss of money for Framingham through a development.

“You cannot develop your way into financial security in a city,” Epstein continued.

Sisitsky—who was not as worried about overwhelming Framingham Public Schools (FPS) on account of just a pair of school-aged children living at the new Water Street apartments, which he claimed has 90% of its occupants renting—said there’s “no question” that Framingham is in need of developments in order to bring in money and maintain services without slashing any parts of the municipal budget. Sisitsky mentioned that The 266 (formerly known as Modera) apartments along Route 135—which recently sold for over $112 million, according to the mayor—is set to provide more than $4,000 in tax revenue per unit annually.

Sisitsky defended his decision to step in and submit the downtown Central Business district for consideration to meet the needs of the statewide MBTA Communities Act following an extended review process, explaining that doing so has allowed Framingham to continue to leverage state grants for citywide improvements. He called the Nobscot situation “complicated” as local officials considered spreading out housing developments across Framingham in recent years; Sisitsky added his belief that “everybody won” now that the city has achieved full compliance with the MBTA Communities Act.

“Obviously, (the Nobscot) neighborhood was not happy with it, and as a result the City Council never voted to rezone it,” the mayor continued.

Sisitsky explained that he and other city officials continue to look into local development possibilities, including retail and mixed-use plans such as the concepts outlined by the owners of Shoppers World this summer. In the meantime, he wants to keep up with outreach efforts to see what residents want planned across Framingham.

“I don’t just talk to people on the phone. I show up…Everybody comes up to me, they want to talk to the mayor, they want to have their picture taken with the mayor, they want to tell the mayor what they think. And I listen,” Sisitsky said.

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Sisitsky said that once the budget for the local school district—which was about $183.1 million for the 2026 fiscal year—is approved by local legislators, FPS officials can do what they’d like with the money. He mentioned that the mayor has “no role” in dictating how those dollars are spent, while adding that the mayor only has a limited voting role alongside the School Committee. He told attendees on Sunday that he typically does not take part in policy discussions during School Committee meetings, as part of his role is to encourage positive developments within Framingham.

“It’s a fallacy to think that the mayor can control what happens with the schools,” Sisitsky said on Sunday, “and I think it’s also a serious problem when people go around knocking the schools and saying how bad everything is.”

Epstein said that while he does not want to critique the state of Framingham’s schools for the sake of doing so, he lamented the loss of educators and principals along with declining student scores, late school buses, and a lack of pre-K expansions. He pointed to the mayor’s control over the annual municipal budget, claiming that Sisitsky diverted $18 million away from FPS and into the local general fund in recent years.

“The mayor has a lot of control over what happens in the city,” Epstein continued, “and if I’m elected mayor, I’ll bring that $18 million—which is still sitting in the general fund—back into the schools to fix the pre-K problem and the classroom support and make sure teachers don’t leave and make sure students’ grades are better.”

Sisitsky retorted by pointing out that the local school district’s budget has gone up by over 6% each year he’s been in office. The FPS budget was set at about $183.1 million for FY26, roughly $172.6 million for FY25, approximately $164.8 for FY24, and about $154.2 million in FY23. He mentioned that those school budget figures do not account for line items related to employee benefits, such as retirement and insurance plans. Sisitsky explained that those line items can total up to an additional $40 million to $50 million allocated to FPS, adding that he has to consider other needs across Framingham’s departments while being careful about where money is spent.

“There’s more to the city and running a city than just the school budget,” Sisitsky said.

“We have to set our priorities.”

Epstein said in response that even with those line items in mind, he believes the trajectory for FPS is still “downwards.”

When the mayoral candidates were asked why some local schools fall below state averages while others excel as well as how they could address inequities in order to provide high quality education for all, Sisitsky said that parents might not be able to support their children with school work—especially considering the city’s demographics, including the amount of students who use English as a second language. He sees school choice as a way to provide balance in Framingham, adding his belief that the new in-house school bus transportation model can give children the opportunity to attend different schools. Epstein believes that state officials provided an avenue to bridge gaps through the Student Opportunity Act, a bill passed in 2019 on Beacon Hill in an attempt to provide more education equity. Epstein reiterated his claims that money within the local reserve fund could be utilized to provide more equitable education within Framingham.

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Amid nationwide arrest and deportation efforts through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) along with related fears within the community, Epstein—an immigrant originally from Australia who has been in the United States for 50 years—said the next mayor of Framingham should “resist” these initiatives within the scope of the law. If elected, he wants to align with Boston’s Michelle Wu and other mayors across Massachusetts to develop a “uniform opposition” to ICE raids. He also wants the City Council to pass an ordinance that would prevent law enforcement officers from wearing masks.

“One has to resist within the legal means you have, but resist 110%,” Epstein told debate attendees.

Sisitsky said it would be a “huge mistake to advocate resistance” within Framingham. He said that ICE apprehending individuals is a matter of federal authority, though he mentioned the way ICE officers have done so in recent months has been “totally out of bounds.” He believes that any pushback to these operations could result in retaliation from federal officials.

“We have to be very careful about going ahead and showing a resistance and bragging about it, because it puts a target on our back...We support our immigrant population in other ways,” Sisitsky continued.

Sisitsky says he’s spoken with both stakeholders within Framingham’s immigrant community—explaining that his administration will do anything they can within the law to provide support—along with Police Chief Lester Baker—who told him that Framingham will have to “respect the law and abide by it.” Epstein responded by saying that there are lawful ways to resist, such as boycotts and marches that have happened within the course of U.S. history.

Both Epstein and Sisitsky said that Framingham should not declare itself as a sanctuary city—one that limits or denies cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

Epstein said that doing so provides “no advantage” due to the potential reaction from the federal government. He thinks that partnering with other local cities and towns to develop legally appropriate strategies and “measured” responses is the appropriate way forward. Epstein added that he would never permit ICE to enter local schools—adding that he would go to jail over that point—while mentioning he would want to inform the immigrant community that the local government is “on their side.”

“We should find out where ICE is, we should make sure they don’t wear masks, we should alert people to where they are—because there’s fear in the city...Our aim is to help people, so my aim in all of this is to help people in a lawful manner,” Epstein continued.

Sisitsky, who mentioned that ICE does not notify the local police department about their whereabouts, pointed to Framingham’s welcoming proclamation—which was adopted as a way to formally welcome people from all walks of life into the city. He said that the city is currently doing the right thing by working alongside social service groups to offer support to the local immigrant community, though he still does not believe that Framingham should declare itself as a sanctuary city.

“We have nothing to gain from (being a sanctuary city), and a lot to lose,” the mayor said.

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Dozens of proposed changes to the Framingham Home Rule Charter will also be on the ballot in November, with all of them bound by a yes or a no vote. The proposals recommended by the Framingham Charter Review Committee in 2024 included limits on the amount of municipal positions City Council members and other elected officials can hold, more transparency and opportunities for residents to provide thoughts during the city’s financial and legislative processes, and initiatives aimed at increasing involvement in the civic process.

Sisitsky said he supports the charter changes “on a whole,” though he did call on City Clerk Lisa Ferguson to distribute additional information about these proposals so that voters are not confused come Election Day. Epstein said he’s especially in favor of the proposed establishment of a Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer through the local charter. Epstein used that point as a transition to his dismay about a perceived lack of solar installations and the delay to create a composting program within Framingham.

Sisitsky pushed back on the former point from Epstein; he said that solar panels and canopies have been installed at local libraries and schools in recent years, adding that money is being invested into roof upgrades at other municipal buildings to make them compatible with solar panels. Epstein retorted, as the pair traded barbs related to the timeline of solar installations.

“It took 45 minutes before all his nonsense started coming out of his mouth. It’s just unbelievable, some of the statements,” Sisitsky said in reference to Epstein’s solar panel comments.

“No solar installations were done on your watch, Mr. Mayor,” Epstein said, to which Sisitsky denied.

“These were all done before; I was the one who suggested Brophy,” Epstein continued, in reference to the proposed solar project at the local elementary school.

“Of course you were...It’s just incredible, all the statements that are being made,” Sisitsky replied.

Sisitsky went on to tell attendees that he’s developed a set of “fiscally responsible” operating and capital budgets during his tenure, where school officials have agreed on the money allocated for resources such as solar panels.

The conversation between the candidates then shifted towards the topic of visibility within the community, where more quips were made by both Sisitsky and Epstein.

“I don’t know where (Epstein’s) been the last four years,” Sisitsky said. “He’s never been to a finance committee meeting [sic], a City Council meeting, a School Committee meeting, he’s never called with his suggestions. Where are all of these ideas coming from, all of a sudden?”

“The mayor never answers my emails,” Epstein replied, “they have been sent.”

“Never got one," Sisitsky answered. “Prove it. You show me one email you sent me.”

“I might not be at the meetings,” Epstein continued, “but I watch them all, because you can use video to watch a meeting that’s happened in the past. I watch them all; I’ve spent the last two years watching all of these meetings.”

Sisitsky said that he and his staff are working hard to fill vacancies within local boards and commissions, though he admitted that it’s difficult to get residents to apply due to “the nature of society these days” while people are occupied with other aspects in life that take up their time. Epstein said there has to be more of an “enterprising” approach to local boards and committees, adding that there should be increased communication efforts from the city for these matters.

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Epstein used most of the time allowed for his closing statement to discuss infrastructure. He believes that Framingham has a $200 million issue that is being “ignored” and solved by increasing local water rates. Epstein said that the city should learn from a strategy from Brookline’s government when they had a sudden school infrastructure issue in recent years, as they moved their pension liability plan payoff date from 2030 to 2040. He contends that moving Framingham’s payoff date out to 2040 will save the city $10 million a year, which he thinks could be used to lower water rates and solve any local infrastructure problems.

“We should really be putting energy, ideas, and a new approach [sic]—which is what I bring—and I ask for your vote on November 4,” Epstein concluded.

Sisitsky—while pointing out that he could not respond to Epstein’s infrastructure comments due to time constraints—advocated for himself as an experienced candidate who has delivered in his first four years in office through fiscal stability, new growth, and continued partnerships with local and state leaders.

“I commit to you that I will always work to ensure that our city is a place of promise, of progress, and of pride...Together, we can create a brighter future for all of us,” Sisitsky said at the conclusion of the debate.

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Election Day in Framingham is Tuesday, November 4. The deadline to register for the local election is Saturday, October 25.

For more election information, visit the city’s official website by clicking here.