Tell us a little about yourself. You can include your personal background, family, outside interests that are important to who you are as a person and a candidate.
As a healthcare policy and reimbursement consultant, we moved to Lexington in 1983. With having two children I coached youth soccer for years. Given one of the reasons we bought the house we did was the town woods behind it. When a report to the Board of Selectmen pushed building dense housing on the four vacant school sites in town, I founded the Coalition of Neighborhood Associations to fight the recommendation since I thought many people move to Lexington because of the town’s commitment to conservation open space. Our initial group morphed into Save Our Open Space. I was also one of the founders of People Against Hanscom Expansion when Massport was trying to introduce and vastly increase commercial airlines at the airport. I developed the financial rational to counter Massport’s claims to which the Secretary of Environmental Affairs agreed and we were successful in blocking the commercial expansion. It was after this involvement some long time Town Meeting Members twisted my arm to run for Town Meeting and I was elected in 1990. In 1991 I made it onto the Town Meeting Member Association Executive Committee and have been committed to what we do since.
Why are you running for Town Meeting?
I am running since I firmly believe Representative Town Meeting is the purest form of local governance there is. Given what we do to prepare the Town Meeting Members for what we have to vote on, Lexington without doubt has the best prepared Town Meeting Members in the state. This is why other communities have come to us asking what we do and how do we do it and I’ve consulted gratis to other towns when they’ve either had problems with their Town Meeting or are thinking about changing from a town to a city. I have been on the TMMA Executive Committee since 1991 as either a precinct officer or a TMMA officer and want to continue in this capacity. During my tenure on the Executive Committee I have continually pushed for increased communication with Lexington’s residents since honesty is the only way to share with our constituents.
How has your past experience — whether in your professional life, elected office, or as a community leader — prepared you for a role in Town Meeting?
I think my town involvement resume speaks for itself.
Community Activities:
• Pct. 5 Town Meeting Member since 1990
• Town Meeting Member Association (TMMA) Executive Committee since 1991
• Pct. 5 TMMA Officer since 1991 and current Clerk
• Past TMMA Chair (’96–’97, ’01–’03, ’15–’16), Vice Chair, Clerk and Treasurer
• Past Chair, TMMA Vote Recording Committee
• Past Chair, TMMA Legal Affairs Committee
• Chaired, TMMA Bylaws Committee
• Appointed to the Selectmen’s Strategic Planning and Implementation Group
• Appointed to the Selectmen’s Ad Hoc Budget Schedule Committee
• Appointed to the Selectmen’s Ad Hoc Fiscal Task Force
• Lead Conservation Steward
• Coached Lexington Youth Soccer, 14 years
• Founded the Coalition of Neighborhood Associations to counter open space development
• People Against Hanscom Expansion (now ShhAir and SOH) – An Original Organizer
• Served on both HFAC and HATS as a Lexington representative to the Hanscom committees
What is the most important issue in this election to you personally, and what ideas do you have about how to address this issue?
We are obviously in a difficult time for the town given the confluence of having to build a new high school at the same time we’re dealing with the ramifications of how we approved the MBTA housing initiative under Article 34. We have to be honest with the residents about the costs and timing of the new high school with the proposed Bloom design. I have to admit, I’m tired of the “Bloom and doom” scenarios being espoused by some. It’s also absolutely critical we reign in as quickly as possible what was initially approved under Article 34 or Lexington’s character will change forever and impact on the town’s future budgets will be disastrous.
One of the things that makes Lexington so special is the number of people who volunteer and spend so much time serving on the various committees, boards and commissions. Everything we have to vote on at Town Meeting has been vetted by so many in a totally transparent manner. The only way to be with constituents is honesty and education when need be.
Just that I ask for your vote to continue my involvement.