Two vie for one seat on Southborough Board of Selectmen

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Southborough – Two candidates, incumbent Brian E. Shea and Sam R. Stivers, are vying for one spot on the Board of Selectmen in the town’s annual election to be held Tuesday, May 8. Here in their own words the candidates introduce themselves to the voters.

 

Two vie for one seat on Southborough Board of Selectmen
Brian Shea

Brian E. Shea

My wife Anne and I are 23 year residents in Southborough, and our three daughters have grown up in town and attended our town’s schools.  I have been active in coaching their soccer teams and at St. Anne’s Parish, in addition to serving on numerous town boards and committees.  In my professional life I am an environmental engineer and have worked in that profession since I graduated college 32 years ago.

Three years ago I ran for Selectman in part due to a sense of frustration that implementing changes to make a positive change to our Town were not being addressed, and too often the “can was kicked down the road” to deal with later.  I promised an analytical thought process and an ability to consider all issues brought forth, to make a fair and reasoned recommendation to make change happen.  Those talents, combined with a strong ability to work cooperatively to achieve consensus have contributed to significant advancements that our town has made in the three years I have been on the Board.  My main reason for running is to continue those advancements and see them through to completion.

I have not done this alone, and I credit our Board’s ability to work together positively on these major issues.  Our Board and our Town as a whole have benefited from citizen volunteers who have stepped up and worked tirelessly on Committees our Board has formed.  Over the past three years we have had two special Town Meetings attended by over 600 residents and we had over 70% approval for the Main Street project, and over 90% approval for the golf course/public safety project.  Without everyone working together, none of this could have happened.

I’m proud of the role I have played in these key projects, and I’m confident that I am the better choice to continue the collaboration that the position of Selectman requires to address the issues that will arise over the next three years.  I humbly ask for your support and for your vote on May 8.

 

Two vie for one seat on Southborough Board of Selectmen
Sam Stivers

Sam Stivers

I’ve been a Southborough resident since 1997. I’ve spent most of this time participating actively in town government. My work experience as a teacher, as a business consultant and as a manager, combined with my educational background in finance and operations management, gives me the skills to address a broad range of town government issues. My six years of experience with the Advisory Committee gives me a detailed view of all aspects of town government. I’ve spent most of my working career helping organizations be successful—and this experience can be applied directly to serving as a selectman.

I care a lot about Southborough’s future. I want to retain and enhance the great things about Southborough that made us all want to live here. An important part of our future success is effective management of Southborough’s resources with the support of its residents. My management skills can help town government be more effective and control rising tax rates. My record of taking an independent approach to town issues, without conflicts of interest or obligations to special interest groups, and my record of listening carefully to all sides of issues, can help restore public confidence in the town’s leadership.

I am very interested in helping the town get the most value from the over $50 million that we now spend annually.  A particular focus for me will be the substantial new project expenditures over the next several years—primarily the Main Street Reconstruction Project and the Public Safety Building/Golf Course Project. These major projects will consume approximately $30 million (from all funding sources). The town needs to utilize the most skilled management resources to assure that these expenditures will deliver the best value for the taxpayers. My experience allows me to play an effective role in this process.

 

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