Westwood deserves a leader who will listen to residents, focus on what matters most, and deliver solutions which make our community stronger.
Listen.
I will consider, first and always, the best interests of our community as a whole, when making every decision, big or small.
I will respect Westwood residents by giving them a seat at the table.
This means more than “hearing” residents' ideas and opinions. It means more than holding office hours, having in-person meetings, and letting residents vent. It means actually listening to what residents have to say and making decisions based on this input.
It means regularly sharing important information with the public, because residents cannot meaningfully engage or contribute without having access to all relevant facts and seeing the big picture.
It means regularly conducting meetings and town business in a way which encourages and invites, rather than intentionally avoids, public discussion and scrutiny, in the earliest stages of the decision making process, so that resident input can actually shape outcomes.
It means truly valuing residents’ diverse areas of expertise, experiences, priorities, and points of view instead of assuming that elected officials know best or have all the answers.
This means, for example, including the public in the process of developing a public comment policy, rather than simply “announcing” it.
It means responding to public input by acting on it in a tangible, practical, and meaningful way.
This means, for example, following the recommendations made by a majority of residents in a Special Town Meeting, rather than simply “acknowledging” them.
It means not favoring private interests or giving special treatment, access, or information to some residents which is not available to all residents.
It means making board and committee appointments based upon objective criteria and qualifications and not personal connections or shared agendas.
It means including, and not shutting out, dissenting and minority opinions.
It means leveraging residents’ differences to build consensus and deliver solutions which best represent our values and strengthen our connections to the community and to one another.