The Year Ahead –2026 – A Comprehensive Interview with Jonathan Zlotnik
Gardner Magazine spoke with State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik on January 8, 2026. We review 2025 and we speak about the year ahead, 2026. Listen to the entire interview on any device, CLICK PLAY.
Gardner Magazine Publisher Werner Poegel and Jonathan Zlotnik took a look back at 2025 with some key achievements being a savings of $100,000 annually simply by effectuating the merger of the Winchendon and Gardner District Courts into the Winchendon-Gardner District Court, securing $10 million in infrastructure funding, and being involved in an important Veterans Housing project in Winchendon. 2026 Top priorities include education, the housing crisis, and infrastructure as is detailed more fully below and in a detailed infographic.
Gardner Magazine has prepared a briefing document with key themes and priorities from State Representative Jonathan Zlotnik. CLICK HERE for PDF and a Report entitled: “the $100,000 Hyphen: 5 Lessons from Local Government, CLICK HERE for PDF — or — CLICK HERE to view the text in a separate page.
In 2025, significant achievements included securing over $10 million for water and sewer infrastructure in the district, championing a revised road funding formula that benefits rural communities, and advancing major youth service initiatives like “The Hub” in Winchendon and the Gardner Community Youth Center. A cornerstone project, the redevelopment of two Winchendon schools into 44 units of veterans’ housing, moved forward with approximately 90% state funding.
Looking ahead to 2026, Representative Zlotnik’s top priorities are twofold: ensuring the full and continued funding of the Student Opportunity Act to provide stable support for K-12 education, and aggressively addressing the regional housing crisis through state investment in redevelopment projects. Supporting priorities include ensuring the financial sustainability of Heywood Healthcare, continuing investment in youth services and infrastructure, and strengthening local food security systems. Throughout, Zlotnik contrasts the Massachusetts legislature’s track record of consensus-building with federal-level gridlock, underscoring a pragmatic approach to governance.