District 14 assembly member Eyes Board of Assessors

Last updated: January 17, 2021

Written by Bob Sprague

Guillermo S. Hamlin, member of the Precinct 14 Town Meeting, is aiming for a three-year seat on the Board of Assessors.

When he announced his campaign in an email on Jan. 13, he wrote that he would like to promote fair and equal treatment of all taxpayers when administering their property tax, vehicle excise tax and all related exemptions.

“I will work to promote accessibility and collaboration in all of my work,” wrote the 31-year-old.

He is government affairs coordinator at UMA (formerly MATV), a non-profit media center based in Malden. He worked there for almost five years.

Kevin Feeley, a veteran board member, did not respond to two questions about whether it was running. He didn’t take out any papers.

In addition to Hamlin, Phillip P. Lohnes also took out nomination papers.

Regarding Hamlin’s background, he wrote in his press release: “I have worked extensively across the region for several years working with city governments, community and civic organizations, and especially the business community.

“I am relying on my experience as an aspiring but formerly low-income green card holder.” Born in Asuncion, Paraguay. He grew up in Somerset Hills, New Jersey, and came to Massachusetts at the age of 18 “to fool himself into being an independent filmmaker”.

He began working at Harvard University as a cameraman for science and math lectures.

An “additional benefit” is that he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and anthropology from Harvard Extension School during his nightly study in 2013.

He has since helped found the Harvard Latino Alumni Alliance and joined the board of the Somerville Community Action Agency. The Federal Agency for Combating Poverty provides annual free tax assistance to IRS certified tax advisors, manages Head Start classrooms, and advocates housing rights for Somerville and Cambridge residents.

Ex-Rotary President

As a former Rotary president of Malden, he works with others to get things done.

He was elected to the city assembly last June during the pandemic.

“I was thrilled to be more involved in our historic and thriving community as a result,” he wrote. “I will call my neighbors and listen to them to raise their concerns. I am glad to see that we have an office for dynamic examiners. I hope the same goes for the appraisal committee.”

Hamlin writes that he would like to continue virtual meetings and services. “I would like to continue studying it when we cross these challenging limits,” he wrote. “My leadership background, my volunteer work and my technical skills make me uniquely qualified to bring us there.”

Most importantly, he wrote that he believed in complying with the Treasury Department and Local Services Department and getting the job done remotely or otherwise.

YourArlington.com has been serving Arlington, Massachusetts news and opinions since 2006. Editor Bob Sprague is a past editor at The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Arlington Advocate. Read more at https://www.yourarlington.com/about.