Table of Contents
Biographical questions
— How many years have you lived in Winchester?
— Please describe your professional background and education.
— What Winchester town positions (appointed or elected) have you held, and for how long? —
— What volunteer roles have you done that made a difference in Winchester?
— Why should I vote for you?
I moved to Winchester five years ago with my wife and we live here with our two young daughters. We were drawn here by the Town’s schools, natural beauty, and reputation as a close-knit community. I am excited to help strengthen the Town we intend to call home for decades to come.
I bring considerable public and private sector financial expertise to Winchester, along with a collaborative approach to problem-solving. I have substantial experience in corporate finance and business strategy, including as a private equity investor and corporate strategist at the world’s largest asset manager and at a top-tier consulting firm. Before my private sector career, I spent several years in the public sector, including as the head of a $1.7bn operating and capital budget for the City of Chicago’s transit authority, gaining substantial experience with operating budgets, labor agreements, pension finance, rating agencies, and municipal bond issuances, among other topics.
During my time in Winchester, I have been extensively involved in education issues as a founding member of the early literacy focused Winchester Literacy Initiative for Change, which is a parent-led group focused on strengthening Winchester Public Schools’ early literacy curriculum. At the state level, I am a past board member of the Massachusetts Sierra Club; serve on the Massachusetts board of OneGoal; and have been involved in Massachusetts’ Early College efforts at a policy and strategy level.
I received my undergraduate degree from Harvard College and MBA from Harvard Business School with Distinction.
What specific methods will you use to gather and represent your constituents' perspectives on issues that come before Town Meeting?
I support hosting precinct-level meetings with residents that are hosted by the 24 town meeting members in each precinct. Community-based sessions can serve as a key method for residents to communicate with Town meeting members, and for the members to communicate among themselves. E-newsletters and online surveys at both the precinct and Town level can be useful for determining the issues on residents’ minds.
Transparency and communication are vital in representative government. What steps will you take to keep your constituents informed about Town Meeting decisions and to explain your voting rationale?
Engagement with citizens is a critical element of Town Meeting – and one of the real strengths of our form of government: our 192 Town Meeting members are direct links to our residents, a source of connection that can both provide input into decision-making and that can be used to communicate Town issues and decisions widely to Town residents.
I also believe the Town Meeting Members Association (TMMA) can be a powerful tool for members to get to know one another, both in person and through online forums. The latter can also serve as a means for the public to learn more about the activities of Town Meeting. Overall, the TMMA is a great addition to Winchester’s “civic infrastructure” and I believe will deliver benefits in terms of the cohesion, effectiveness, and transparency of Town Meeting in the years ahead.
Town Meeting decides three major things: It sets the salaries for the elected officials, votes to appropriate money to run the town, and votes on the town's local statutes, which are called by-laws. How do you plan to evaluate and make decisions on budgetary allocations to ensure fiscal responsibility while meeting the town's needs?
Town Meeting plays a critical role in providing oversight, and final approval, on Winchester’s budget. Our Town faces a challenging financial reality today, and we will need both carefully considered efficiencies and new revenue to sustainably fund the Town and Winchester Public Schools. Any plan will require careful craftsmanship to align on a package that works for all and that balances four aims:
· Investing in town services, both municipal and schools
· Tackling our substantial unmet capital needs
· Pursuing a revenue and cost savings package that minimizes to the extent possible the burden on taxpayers
· Preserving our town’s fiscal strength, including our stellar credit ratings
As a Town Meeting member, I would encourage the town management to find efficiencies where possible, including areas where we can use off-the-shelf technology to automate processes, expand the use of strategic and joint purchasing to achieve better rates for large cost categories, and better utilize Town assets to generate income.
Winchester has been prudent in its management of free cash and its long-term liabilities, including pension and other post-employment benefits. I would advocate maintaining a strong free cash position while using some excess for one-time capital needs, and using pension savings beginning in 2027 to pay down other liabilities on a reasonable schedule.
Finally, the 2019 property tax override was designed to last four years, and it has lasted six years already. With inflation far above the Proposition 2½ cap over that period, we will likely need additional revenue to meet the needs of the Town. In considering any override tax package, I would advocate that we expand and improve the range of programs the Town offers to support seniors on fixed incomes. Better communication about the existence of these programs will help those who may have more difficulty absorbing any future property tax increases.
