“I pledge to foster a legislative branch that runs smoothly, fairly, and represents all.”
My journey began last spring.
After every Town Meeting session from May through October, a flood of fellow Town Meeting members reached out to strongly urge me to run for moderator, citing a need for fairness, experience, and skill.
I share their concerns. Rather than sit back and complain, I decided to run for moderator.
Town Meeting—Belmont’s legislative branch—is 288 elected members who represent the voice of the people. We debate and pass Belmont’s laws. Approve budgets. Define zoning. Establish priorities. We serve our community.
The moderator is the impartial leader of our legislative branch who plans and leads sessions, sweats the details, makes appointments, and brings knowledge and experience to bear. I bring the critical skills needed to be an effective moderator:
1. Hybrid Meeting Management: For nearly five years, I have run large hybrid meetings professionally and as Belmont Select Board chair on topics that are complex and sometimes controversial.
2. Fairness and Impartiality: I have a 35-year track record professionally and in Belmont leading forums where everyone has an equal opportunity to be heard and influence decisions, and my personal opinions remain private.
3. Legal and Procedural Rulings: As a municipal law attorney, I am comfortable making rulings during debate and confidently explaining the underlying rationale.
4. Diverse Committee Appointments: I reformed the rules for Select Board appointments and worked diligently to diversify the pool of candidates for more than 500 positions on more than 60 committees over six years.
As moderator, I pledge:
1. Leadership: Foster a Town Meeting where sessions are clear and efficient, all views are aired, rulings are legally correct and explained, and new members receive ample training.
2. Fairness: Manage a fair process, be impartial, and never take a position on articles or file citizen petitions.
3. Hybrid: Ensure Town Meeting continues to be hybrid.
4. Transparency: Hold on-camera interviews of appointment candidates, publicly release all meeting videos, and institute regular moderator office hours.
Town Meeting has critical decisions ahead. I have the skills and experience to hit the ground running.
Belmont deserves a legislative branch that is a robust, co-equal branch of government—which requires a moderator with the leadership skills to help Town Meeting be its best.
I am running for moderator to do just that.
I respectfully ask for your vote for moderator on April 7.
Editor’s Note: The candidates for moderator, the only contested town-wide race, were asked to submit candidate statements, announcing their plans to run and outlining their priorities.
