I want to join the Select Board to provide leadership in the decisions shaping the future of our town as the business base transitions from the traditional office park model to the modern mixed-use model with biotech as a large component.
I bring years of experience both as an appointed official in Burlington town government and as a leader in a wide range of Burlington organizations. I have been a member of Town Meeting and Ways & Means for 18 years. And I chaired Ways & Means for two years as the town recovered from the financial troubles of 2008. During my years of Ways & Means, I served on each and every subcommittee which means that I have a working knowledge across the entire range of departments including schools. In addition to my work in government, I have volunteered with the Rotary Club of Burlington working with business leaders in our community to help with scholarships for BHS seniors, Special Olympics basketball and softball, food runs for the Food Pantry, etc. I served as president of the Club for 2016/2017. And I am proud to be the longest serving board member at BCAT where I served as president from 2013 to 2016.
Leadership skills:
I have a track record in town of being able to gather information and make a decision guided by my vision of keeping Burlington a great place to raise a family.
Knowledge base:
I know the organizational and financial operations of the town through my years of involvement. A large part of this knowledge base consists of not only knowing the responsibilities of the various boards and commissions, but also knowing the limitations on possible action given by local bylaws, state law, and federal law. I not only know the people in town government, but I also know many people in the business community through my time in Rotary and BCAT.
Open-minded, but independent:
I am always ready to listen and to rethink, but I make my decisions based on the information on hand guided by what I believe is best for the town.
Revenue pressure from transition in the business community:
The town needs to continue to invest in the Economic Development department and needs to continue working on zoning and regulations to make Burlington a friendly environment for prospective companies.
Infrastructure issues:
There are plans in place to rebuild the police station and one of the four elementary schools. The town needs to get those projects done. There is work needed at the high school, the departments in the Human Services building all need more space, and I would argue that we need more parking in the town center campus. The town needs to continue to invest in the infrastructure for both the short-term urgent matters and for the long-term maintenance of our facilities.
Diversity:
Town services work best when the members and employees of government mirror the diversity of the people in town. When the demographics are actively shifting, this becomes a moving target. But the town does need to be sensitive to such shifts.
Balance between services and tax rate:
The Select Board needs to listen to the community to understand where and if we need to draw the line on services provided. Costs for salaries, supplies, and building projects continue to rise. The town has been able to deliver a generous range of services for many years and the hope is that the town will be able to grow its way through the current lag in revenue. The balance needs to be monitored and I want to make sure that Burlington remains an affordable town by keeping tax rates as low as possible.
Housing availability:
The town needs to continue to collaborate with developers to help with our housing stock. Redevelopment plans along our business corridor may be our best option.
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