Elect Laurel Labdon Brewster MA Selectboard
Town Election is May 28th.
Our Town has been caught in a vicious cycle of tax and spend policies. In 10 years our ‘leaders’ have brought us from surplus to being over $180 million in debt! It needs to end. And one voice can make a difference.
Few dare step out of line to fight to be fiscally conservative and put the needs of Brewster residents above their own.
Laurel Labdon is one such candidate. And we think you should seriously consider her for the open Selectboard seat.
https://www.laurellabdonforbrewster.com
WHY LAUREL LABDON?
Fiscal Responsibility
* We need to face the hard truth: According to the Finance Committee Chairman, Brewster’s debt obligations now exceed $101 million…that is up 262% in just 11 years…and we are just beginning to feel the impact of the desperately needed but overbuilt Nauset High School renovation. A major renovation of the Stony Brook School is looming on the horizon, while the wish list for the Sea Camps properties exceeds $60 million.
* We need to spend smart and spend less: Discretionary expenditures and the persistent focus on “glory projects” have reached irresponsible and unsustainable levels. Brewster cannot afford to subsidize other towns or allow regional officials to push through unwise spending. Solutions for our multifaceted school building challenges should be prioritized over feasibility studies and designs for new buildings.
* We need to do a better job with what we have: We must optimize usage across all of our existing buildings, facilities, and properties to best meet the needs of our students, young adults, families, and seniors. The Sea Camps properties will benefit the community for generations to come. Enjoyment should be prioritized over expensive development.
Local Values
* We need to remain committed to educational excellence: Our schools are the #1 reason young families come to Brewster. That is what brought my family to Brewster 50 years ago. We must pursue fair and equitable spending agreements that include the CAPITAL costs and any new expenditures of the Nauset Regional Schools. We need to be laser focused on spending smart as we make decisions about regionalization, consolidation, school choice and enrollment trends.
* We need to increase affordability and maintain character: We must continue to tackle our critical housing crisis. A regional approach is the most effective way to increase housing opportunities…but that burden must be carried equally and reciprocated by all other town’s housing initiatives. We must use appropriate areas to add income based, year round, community housing stock to Brewster’s housing market. This must be planned while preserving Brewster’s character and environment. We must ensure that Brewster remains a town that can provide opportunities for young families, essential workers and seniors to live, work and thrive.
* We need to reaffirm our commitment to preserving and improving our water quality: We are incredibly fortunate that we don’t need a town-wide sewer system but must do a better job of protecting our groundwater, ponds, and coastal waterways from excess nutrients plus pesticides and other intrinsically harmful chemicals. We need cost-effective community-wide solutions – such as following the lead of our neighboring towns who are pursuing Home Rule Petitions for Pesticide & Fertilizer Reduction Bylaws.
Independent Voice
* We need to explore the opportunities for a multi-generational community center: Brewster needs a vibrant, functional space for the Council on Aging and Elder Services. This critical need has been put on the back burner for far too long, leaving our largest, yet most under-served population…seniors…to receive their services in an inadequate space that limits the scope of services that can be provided.
* We need to reestablish our commitment to community: It is time to listen to residents rather than force citizens and groups looking to protect values or solve problems go through the arduous process of opposing projects or filing Citizen’s Petitions. We need thoughtful decisions not ill-advised ideas such as changing our historical Town Seal, building a boardwalk, or revoking lifetime shell-fishing permits for seniors.
Responsive Leadership
* We need to ask the right questions: Surveys provided to Brewster residents are missing important questions, such as: “Is this the appropriate time to pursue this project?” “Does this project fulfill a critical need of the Town?”“Where is the option to say no?…or at least…not right now?” Residents deserve transparency in impending capital expenditures before being asked to vote for overrides or discretionary “glory projects.”
* We need a new approach. The Select Board is supposed to represent community interests, not push initiatives or projects forward in the face of the significant questions, changing conditions, or reasoned opposition. We need a Select Board with empathy and understanding, not an agenda. I have no agenda but to keep Brewster a town where young families, essential workers and seniors can live, work and thrive.