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I strongly support Anne Landry in the April 2nd election for the Select Board. Meeting Anne during this campaign, I was impressed with her intelligence, practicality, and artful listening. I firmly believe she will be a responsive representative of every resident in town. I am excited by her ambition to make the town government more efficient and responsive. For example, Anne is forward thinking to suggest integrating technology systems between RMLD and the town. This type of thinking can save costs and make it easier for residents to work with these departments.
Anne is also creative in exploring options for updating physical infrastructure such as the senior center and Killam Elementary school. Both buildings have significant problems for the communities they serve. The senior center is not an adequately accessible building and Killam Elementary students are unable to drink the school’s water after lead testing showed unsafe levels at multiple fixtures. Anne has made it clear that both of these projects need to be explored and not pitted against each other. One innovative option she has proposed to offset costs is exploring the feasibility of solar projects on new and existing buildings. There are several successful solar programs in nearby towns. I don’t know that there are any easy solutions for town infrastructure, but I trust Anne to research and champion the best-balanced option.
As a career public servant, she will also able to avoid “reinventing the wheel” for problems that other communities face and borrow best practices on how to make Reading’s fiscal future more sustainable. Her experience as a Town Meeting member and on the Finance Committee have kept her informed of the most pressing issues facing the town to date. Her volunteer work with Reading Embraces Diversity and Reading People Organized to Welcome Refugees has made our town more welcoming. It is clear that Reading has challenges to face during the next Select Board term and Anne Landry is the candidate best prepared to tackle them.
I urge you to give her your vote on Tuesday, April 2nd.
Jessica Kaufman
Francis Drive
