Select Board. (Please Note About This Statement): This Statement Is Based On My Statement To The Winchester League Of Women Voters, But Includes Additional Material, And Some Additional Points
What Winchester issues do you think are most important?
Responsible Development and Financial Responsibility: Winchester must be committed to modest, clear development objectives; that will help to pay for our distinct educational construction costs, and potential enrollment increases. Carefully designed, environmentally responsible, increased density, can improve the town, and our financial position. An endowment-like Fund For Winchester, should be developed, welcoming private contributions, as investments in our future.
Clear Quality Standards For Modest Increases In Tasteful And Reasonable Development:
These standards, for development, must seek improved quality construction standards, for both residential, and commercial construction; incentivizing environmentally valuable aspects, including solar; and including improved Fire Department oversight of strengthened construction codes, for durable, and safer buildings.
Financial Operations: Financial Operations of the Town of Winchester, should include careful monitoring, of our Bond Ratings, and circumstances. Alert, and prospective standards, for appropriate refinancings, should be monitored; and a cautionary approach to Operating Overrides, and Debt Exclusions, must be taken.
School Construction: is a reality, and cost escalation, is a real aspect; A School Building Advance Fund (SBAF): For Construction, Maintenance, and Renovation, should be established, to create some modest advance reserves, for educational facilities.
The Master Plan: must be fully implemented; and some regional shuttle transportation services, accessible to all, should be explored; and could be environment improving.
School Policies: must move in the direction of full, regular enrollment of Pre-School classes for all applicants; ending lottery processes.
Quality Public Schools, must also include advocating for additional teacher revenue, and developing other programming, including Civics, Local History, and America 250 Curriculum.
The Rule of Law: including following the spirit of law, and transparency of government operations, must be a vital foundation of all levels of government in The United States, Federal, Commonwealth of Mass, and Town of Winchester.
Strengthened Communication, as focused on by the Communications Committee of Town Meeting, must be encouraged; particularly with the weakening of traditional newspaper media, and the scattering of social media platform information. This must also address the Legal Notice Announcements of the Town.
Of those important issues, which one do you feel most passionate about, and what is your position on that issue?
Responsible Development and Financial Responsibility, must have specific operational standards, that the Town of Winchester is committed to carrying out, in its decisions, in its culture, and in its self, public education conversations. Thus, my emphasis on The Rule of Law, and strengthened communication mechanisms, across the town, and even to broader resources.