I’m writing to express my support for Adam Dash as town moderator. I’ve worked with Adam for almost a decade, beginning when I first ran for Town Meeting in 2017. He immediately gained my respect due to his pragmatic, thoughtful, and personable approach to the issues facing Belmont. I served on several committees during Adam’s Select Board tenure and he was approachable, accessible, and level-headed during our many conversations. His hundreds of committee appointments crossed any political divides and helped make our committees diverse and full of experience.
We face a town volunteer problem in Belmont. Everyone is busy – we are all strapped for time, juggling multiple obligations at once. When I ran for Town Meeting in Precinct 1 in 2017, it was an incredibly competitive precinct. Now, we have empty seats in almost every precinct. Adam’s plan to recruit new members, implement a “buddy system,” and implement a mock Town Meeting at the high school is the mindset that we need in a moderator.
I believe that Adam’s experience as a Select Board member and as a municipal attorney is critical to the functioning of Town Meeting. As our town experiences headwinds from a variety of directions, Town Meeting will only become more complex as we face more urgent and potentially controversial issues. We have 288 Town Meeting members who are spending significant time and energy volunteering for our town. Town Meeting requires a moderator who’s efficient, respectful of their time, who can make decisions that comply with the law in real time, and who can present accurate information in a clear and concise manner to avoid confusion during Town Meeting. Adam unequivocally possesses all those qualities. I hope you will join me in voting for Adam on April 7th.
Emma Thurston, Baker Street