Evan Francis is running for Taunton City Council. His position on 5 key topics

Emma Rindlisbacher, The Taunton Daily Gazette, October 10, 2025

With eighteen candidates running for nine spots on the Taunton City Council, voters will have plenty of options in this year's Nov. 4 city election. And with four current city councilors not running for reelection, next year's city council is guaranteed to have new faces.

To help voters learn more about the candidates, the Gazette sent the same questions to each candidate running for office. We limited all responses to 150 words or less, and we asked questions about the candidates' backgrounds and about some of the issues they would likely face if elected to the city council.

Here's what city council candidate Evan Francis, a challenger, had to say.

All eighteen city councilor candidates will be on the ballot in the Nov. 4 election. Voters will be asked to select up to nine candidates, and voters will also be given the option to write in up to nine options as well. The nine candidates with the most votes will be elected as city councilors.

Who is Evan Francis?

Party: Democrat

Age: 22

Please describe your prior political experience, your profession, and your prior community involvement: I'm a proud lifelong resident of Taunton. I graduated from Taunton High School in 2021 and went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communications from Bridgewater State University.

My passion for public service started at a young age, when I would write letters to Mayor Thomas Hoye about the challenges facing Taunton. That dedication was further shaped by my late mentor, State Representative Carol Doherty. I got involved in local politics by volunteering and managing her campaigns in 2020 and 2022. During college, I had the opportunity to intern for Congressman Jake Auchincloss and Senator Edward Markey.

Today, I continue to serve my community as a board member of the Downtown Taunton Foundation and a member of the Taunton Community Garden. I currently work as a legislative aide for State Representative Dennis Gallagher and am pursuing a master's degree in Public Administration at Bridgewater State University.

What are the main priorities you would like to address with this next 2-year term on city council?

My first priority is to be a listening ear and an independent voice for all of Taunton. Too often, politics is about talking at people rather than truly hearing them. I also believe city councilors should remain independent and common sense leaders, not influenced by political parties. I believe in being an active city councilor: attending meetings, doing my homework, and engaging with the community before making important decisions.

Fiscal responsibility is also a critical priority of mine. I want Taunton to remain financially stable through both good times and bad. This includes maintaining a strong rainy day fund, avoiding unnecessary spending and ensuring essential services like public safety, schools, and infrastructure are properly funded.

My other priorities include affordability of our city for our seniors, veterans and young people. Along with supporting our city's public safety and our continued economic development of our Downtown, Whittenton and Weir Village. 

The city is set to open a new public safety building soon and as a result the current police station (located at 23 summer street) as well as the current central fire station (located at 50 school street) will eventually be vacant. What should be done with those properties?

I am so happy that after so many years, Taunton's incredible police and fire departments will finally receive the state-of-the-art public safety facility they deserve. This now gives the city two major opportunities to create exciting new growth right in Downtown Taunton. I believe the city should sell both buildings to a developer committed to creating housing and retail space. Both sites are ideally suited for mixed-use development that can bring new life and investment to our Downtown area. The former police station would be perfect for housing paired with retail, restaurants, or even performing arts space. Central Fire Station is one of Taunton's most iconic landmarks. Its historic character should be preserved and incorporated into any future redevelopment. There's a real opportunity to transform that property into something unique to honor the station’s history while giving residents a space to enjoy.

Do you feel that there is too much development in the city or not enough development in the city, and why?

For me, it's not just about how much development we have, it's about the type of development. I believe we've seen a lot of single family housing in neighborhoods that aren't suited for rapid growth, which has impacted green spaces that make Taunton special. I'd like to see more housing development in our Downtown area, which is better suited for growth and could attract residents who will live, work, and spend time in our city. This includes young people and working families seeking a walkable community without Boston housing costs. More residents Downtown would also make the area more appealing to businesses, helping attract retail, restaurants, and other establishments that contribute to a bustling Downtown. We also could use more business development along the 140/County Street corridor near the train station and casino. We must ensure new development is sustainable and considers impacts on schools, public safety, and infrastructure.

What are your thoughts on this year's city budget? Are you happy with what the city is spending money on?

Overall, I am satisfied with this year’s city budget. It makes good investments in our infrastructure, schools, economic development and public safety. FY26 has proved to be a challenging year for many towns but luckily Taunton has managed its finances well in the past few years especially with federal stimulus and increased state funding to Chapter 70 (school funding) and Chapter 90 (infrastructure). Which is welcomed to keep our city fiscally stable and prime for investment. As a city councilor, I would advocate for more capital investment in road, sewer and water infrastructure. While the city has made good progress on paving streets, repairing sidewalks and extending sewer lines there is always room for improvement. I also would advocate for more public education and public school building repair funding. Working with the school committee we can ensure our young people have the best resources to learn and thrive.

Do you approve of the way the city and tribe have handled the welcome center's rapid expansion and do you think a future larger casino will be good or bad for the city?

Yes, I believe the city and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe have handled the Welcome Center's expansion well. It's encouraging to finally see visible progress on a project that has been talked about for so many years. I have heard of many people enjoying the slot machines and weekend concerts. I think the continued partnership between the city and the tribe is important to ensuring that growth happens responsibly and benefits the community as a whole. Especially since the potential plans for the future project are large; we must make sure the city is getting its fair share of mitigation and revenue from the tribe. Looking ahead, I believe a larger casino resort would be good for Taunton. It would bring good paying jobs, increase local revenue, and help revitalize nearby business districts. Most importantly, it would make Taunton a destination attracting investment and new opportunities for our city.