LWV questions:

Candidate Name: Michelle Prior

Precinct: 4

Email address (optional): michelle@electmichelleprior.com

Please list your Community Activities:

Town Meeting Member (Precinct 4): 2011 - present 

Member, Board of Directors Wright-Locke Farm Conservancy: 2018 - present

Audit Advisory Committee (appointed by the Select Board): May 2022 - present

Past:

Chair, Town of Winchester Finance Committee: 2013 - 2014

Member, Town of Winchester Finance Committee: 2010 - 2015, assigned to the Education Budget Subcommittee every year. 

Member, Town Counsel Search Committee, (appointed by the Select Board): 2016 - early 2017 

You can learn more about me at ElectMichellePrior.com   

Questions to address in your candidate statement

What skills and experience would you bring to the Select Board?

I bring skills and experience of three basic types: professional expertise working in, and with, government agencies and non-profit providers; active listening, moderating and facilitation skills; and many working relationships with Winchester staff, boards, volunteers & fellow residents. 

I bring educational experience (B.A. in History and MBA), and professional experience gained over 30+ years consulting to state and local governments, specifically health and human services agencies. And for the past 13 years, I have volunteered in various capacities and served with many Winchester town employees, boards, and Town Meeting members. 

My professional work involves assisting health and human services agencies to develop and implement strategic plans, develop systems -- information systems and systems of care, manage operations, and negotiate contracts with vendors. In some engagements I also serve as a project manager responsible for creating project budgets, tracking and allocating expenses, implementing governance structures, and keeping projects on schedule. I am a facilitator and act as a liaison between program staff and Information Technology staff.  I also enhance business processes, manage organizational change, and respond to legislative mandates at the state and federal levels. I’ve had an insider’s view into 40 state, territory, or county agencies/governments, and my work requires constant interaction and collaboration with colleagues of various backgrounds at multiple levels of organizations. Virtually everything I have done in my career is applicable and relevant to how we run our town and our school system.   

On the local level, I have participated in town budget development and approval through my six years of volunteer work on the Finance Committee and as an elected member of the Town Meeting since 2011.  I was a member of the search committee for a new Town Counsel when Wade Welch retired, and was recently appointed by the Select Board to the Audit Advisory Committee, which assists town leadership with their oversight of the Town’s annual financial audit.  At the request of the Town’s Sustainability Director and the Energy Management Coordinator, I facilitated a panel discussion during Climate Solutions week (September 2022), and have served on the Board of Directors for Wright-Locke Farm since 2018.  

What Winchester issues do you think are most important?

Everyone who chooses to run for office or seeks appointment to a town board or committee is motivated by a desire to do what is best for Winchester.  I want to see Winchester continue to be a community where our excellent schools educate our children and prepare them for life beyond high school.  I want to live in a town with residents of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and income types who can access a variety of housing types. Winchester needs to find a way to accommodate individuals and families moving into town as well as provide options for current residents at all stages of life.  

I want to see our older residents able to stay in their homes, to remain our neighbors, and to support new residents moving in to town.  To do that, we need to maintain a mix of housing units in town, and at the same time we must be attentive to the rate of growth of residential property taxes. Additionally, I want to see Winchester retain our commercial properties and downtown businesses.  During my term, I will work with the Town Planner and Planning Board to help ensure that we have a realistic plan for expanding our commercial tax base in a way that complements the many small businesses that are owned and/or operated by town residents.  

Lastly, it is important that the fiscal decisions we make for our municipal and school enterprises are realistic, practical, and informed.  

Of those important issues, which one do you feel most passionate about, and what is your position on that issue?

Maintaining the quality of our schools and the level of town services through a carefully managed financial process is my highest priority.  I see how well my 2022 WHS grad was prepared for college and I have been closely involved with the educational plan for my younger child who currently attends the Learning Center at WHS.  We can continue to grow and expand services when we have sustainable revenues to do so and are mindful about the timing of new program implementation or program expansion as necessary.

I will listen and respectfully consider all options.  I expect my participation as a member of the Select Board will contribute to a culture of shared responsibility to address our town’s needs and achieve outcomes for our residents.  I also hope to contribute to a Select Board environment that encourages thoughtful debate of the issues.