James Fee is running for City Council on the All in for Rye team.
James is running for City Council for a simple reason – our community needs a working parent of young children to be a voice for so many of us who are running to catch trains, making school drop-off and pick-up times, working hard to pay our taxes, and chasing scooters down our sidewalks and through our parks. James will be that voice.
Hailing from the Boston area, James grew up in a family with a strong tradition of service and being active participants in local government. James joining the All in for Rye team is a direct reflection of this deeply held spirit of community service.
James’s interest in government led him to obtain a degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his studies at Penn, James captained the Division I men’s swim team and received The Class of 1915 Award, considered the top athletic honor for a senior male student-athlete at Penn.
After college, James served as a staff member on Capitol Hill for United States Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts. Following two years of valuable experience in constituent engagement and legislative work focused on financial services policy, James returned to Massachusetts to attend Boston College Law School. He began his legal career as a commercial litigator in New York City as defense counsel and later pivoted to the plaintiffs’ side with a focus on securities, data privacy, and consumer litigation and arbitration. James also provides pro bono legal representation for veterans in need of advocacy in connection with their disability benefit claims.
James and his wife, Christina, met the first day of their freshman year of high school. Fast forward to 2020, James and Christina first planted roots in Rye, with their canine sidekick Mr. Pants in tow. They chose Rye for its natural beauty, first rate schools, and vibrant downtown. Since moving to Rye, they have welcomed three children.
James’ first exposure to Rye’s city government was in early 2023 when it became known that newly admitted Rye members to the city-owned-and-operated Rye Golf Club would be paying fees higher than other Rye-based members in perpetuity. Teaming up with current councilmember Bill Henderson, James led a grassroots movement of similarly impacted Rye City residents to fight this unfair, disparate treatment before the City Council. In the end, this successful effort led to the elimination of the unfair rates at Rye Golf and ensured that the Rye Golf rates would always remain equal and fair for all Rye City residents going forward whenever they join or re-join Rye Golf.
If elected to the Rye City Council, James will bring a fresh perspective as both a recent arrival and as a husband and father of a young family, who holds a deep respect and appreciation for Rye’s history.
He will be a responsible steward of Rye’s tax dollars through careful management and investment, maintaining the services and amenities that draw so many to this community. James will champion investing in recreation facilities to ensure our children have access to the best athletic and artistic opportunities.
Second, while development is critical for the community to grow and remain competitive, James will ensure that development is appropriate, thoughtful, and adds to Rye’s unique character. A focus on issues surrounding flooding and impervious ground space will remain front and center.
Finally, James will advocate for the reinvigoration and reconnection of the City Council and the dozen or more citizen-led boards and committees that, along with the tireless City staff, enable Rye to thrive.
James is All in for Rye.