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I never thought I would agree with Linda Phillips. I never thought I would agree with Bill Brown. And I never thought I would write those two sentences, but recent events by certain members of the Select Board have caused me to think long and hard about what is best for this town.
I was born and raised in Reading, and other than a short 12 month period, I’ve lived here my entire life. I wanted to raise my kids in the town I love, and that’s what I’ve done. My mother was also raised here and passed on her love to her children, and two of my siblings have also chosen to raise their kids here.
Over the last 5 or so years, I’ve quietly paid more attention to town politics. I’ve followed School Committee meetings, Select Board meetings, Finance Committee meetings, and the override votes (both of which I supported). When people challenged the need for the override money, I was hurt and angry. It was very clear to me that the town needed the money, and while no one is enthusiastic about paying more money in taxes, the residents needed to step up and support the town. When the first override failed, I thought this wasn’t the town I grew up in. I read various messages online of people who didn’t support the override, and I didn’t understand. How could you not support the schools, the police department, the fire department?
I was ecstatic when the second override passed, but my attention didn’t stop after that. I continued to watch all of these meetings, and I’ve always appreciated a balance across the Select Board. My parents still live here in the house I grew up in. My father is retired, but they choose to stay in the town that they love and pay a lot of money in taxes. They supported the override because their grandchildren are in the schools, they support the town and because they see the bigger picture of what the additional funds for the override would do for the town, and ultimately, their property value. But having people that listen to the various perspectives of the residents of the town is critical, especially for the Select Board. The town has a diverse population of age groups, and we need to think about all the residents because we all need to come together in order for this town to thrive.
The current Select Board has been one-sided for too long and needs new voices as well as the strong and consistent voice of a leader who will think about the entire town. The Select Board needs a small business owner such as Carlo Bacci who can help provide a new perspective in developing our downtown area. It’s critical that we maximize the downtown area and the limited potential that we may have with our land, and I think Carlo’s background, combined with a new perspective will provide key skills and a voice that is currently missing.
We also need John Halsey to stay on the Select Board. John is a proven leader who will listen to different perspectives. He will consider the town as a whole and what is best for the town, not for his own agenda. He will follow the Town Charter. He will also be honest with you, even if he disagrees with you. He will answer your questions directly.
As I said earlier, I never thought I would agree with Linda Phillips and Bill Brown, but I do. The current Select Board does not have the trust and confidence of a good portion of residents of the town of Reading, and that needs to be restored.
I will be voting for Carlo Bacci and writing in John Halsey for Select Board, and I respectfully ask that you do as well.
Casey Moulton
Pasture Road
