Community Corner

Letter to the Editor: Kessler For Selectman

Glenn Kessler, candidate for the Board of Selectmen, seeks voters' support.

 

Tuesday, April 24th is Election Day and I’m asking for your vote. Swampscott has challenges that must be met, and I would be proud to represent your interests on the Board of Selectmen.

At the recent League of Women Voters event, my opponent enthusiastically agreed to spend over $1.85 million of taxpayer money to renovate Blocksidge Field. A new field would be wonderful…if we could afford it and if it did not require us to continue to neglect our town’s buildings and roads.

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Let me be clear: I am not against the field renovations. I simply believe there are considerations to take into account before we commit our limited resources to this project. Something for us to think about regarding the field: why not give the private sector committee, “One Field for All” a year to raise the $750,000 they said they would need for field renovations and put it in an escrow account? Then, in 2013, we can make the decision to proceed or not based on input from the town. A new snack shack, by the way, is not part of their $750,000 commitment. That will require additional funds! If the project starts in 2012, and the private funding doesn’t fully materialize, the citizens of Swampscott may have to pay for any financial shortfall.

I love to watch our children participate in town sports. My older daughter is on junior varsity soccer and my younger daughter will be a Gladiator cheerleader. Both would benefit from and enjoy this field. Like many of us, I have friends with sons and daughters who play field hockey, lacrosse, football and soccer. They, like me, are struggling with the issue of affordability and priorities. So ask yourself, can we really afford a nearly $2 million multi-purpose field at this time? Is that the best way to spend our scarce resources? I’m ready and willing to hear your thoughts.

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My priorities for the town take into consideration our short term and long term objectives.

1.    The Master Plan is calling for a new elementary school; taxes will increase for all of us as a result.

2.    Humphrey Street, Salem Street and several others must be repaved; they are in deplorable condition.

3.    Did you get your tax bill recently? Most residents were hit with a $400-$600 increase; some…even higher.

If elected, I will listen to your opinions during my deliberations as a Selectman. If it is the desire of the town to build a new field and forgo rebuilding our town’s infrastructure, you’ll tell me and together, we can make decisions based on our community’s wishes. That’s the big difference between my opponent and me.

While my opponent has refused to allow public comment at Selectmen meetings, I will not. If elected, I will sponsor on-going town wide meetings with residents to discuss this and other important issues that impact our community. Your voices need to be heard by town government.

THINK DIFFERENTLY…

PLEASE VOTE FOR GLENN KESSLER-SELECTMAN


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