BOS Present Operation

Nantucket Independent Question #3 for April 8th

No town board is perfect in its makeup of individuals who view issues from their unique perspectives. What is your greatest criticism of the operation of the current board of selectmen, and how do you believe keeping you on the board or adding you as a member will improve the selectmen's function?

The current board has great diversity but is missing someone with the experience of leading multi-million dollar organizations. We need a pro-active board, not reactive. We need to plan for Nantucket's future, not just muddle through and figure out how to get by. Right now, our Town is faced with a financial crisis that could have been avoided with better planning.

I am an 11th generation Nantucketer. I grew up here working summer jobs while getting a great education. I ran a boat yard business on the Island for 10 years. As a veteran of foreign wars, I served my country well. I excelled working for the U.S. government in intelligence, and later in private business. I have skills that are sorely lacking on the BOS, including; budgeting, planning, contract negotiation, forecasting, management, and setting and achieving goals.

I have attended nearly every Board of Selectman meeting since early 2005. As Board Chairman, I had a great working relationship with the Town Manager and all the other Board Members. I continue to serve on eight town committees and organizations. I am up to speed and can hit the ground running. I have several new ideas to bring forward that will help the Nantucket economy to grow and prosper.

We must reduce the cost of living for year-round Nantucketers, and make sure teachers and Town employees can keep their jobs.