Table of Contents
Preferred contact method:
kathrynjhughes@verizon.net
What experiences and perspectives would you contribute to Town Meeting?
I’ve been privileged to live in Winchester for over forty years. For the past four years, I’ve served on the Finance Committee. Reviewing municipal and educational budgets, I’ve acquired first-hand knowledge of town operations and strategic issues facing the town while building strong relationships across town departments.
Serving as a Precinct 5 Town Meeting member for 3 years has further enhanced my understanding of issues impacting our neighborhoods. Other volunteer activities have included judging state-wide DECA competitions and serving as Treasurer and Director for a large residential association.
Professionally, I bring over 40 years of management experience as a Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing executive and business owner, managing global teams and budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars for technology companies ranging from startup to $16B while serving on multiple industry boards.
What are two or three issues facing Winchester that you think are most important and what are your positions on them?
Three critical issues face us: ongoing budget deficits, maintaining our “top 10” school rankings, and preserving our capital assets.
For several years, the town has faced escalating annual deficits as expenses exceed income. Each time, we’ve closed the gap by drawing from the town’s “free cash” reserve fund. With roughly $22m currently in that fund, we can easily absorb the deficit one more year without jeopardizing the town’s overall financial health. This can be done while supporting new curricula and resources to address shortcomings in our Literacy and Math curricula. This approach would buy us time to explore long-lasting strategies for generating additional income.
We must face facts. Winchester has a small commercial tax base and relies on residential taxes and fees to generate revenue. We are spending more than we take in through taxes, fees, investment income and other sources. In addition, we face an $80M+ backlog of capital projects and potential rebuild of Muraco school that has not yet factored into our financial plans. The latest census indicates that 28% of residents are 60+ years of age. Many rely on fixed incomes. Long term residents who have contributed to the town over multiple generations and prospective residents alike risk being priced out of Winchester. We must continue to explore a range of funding sources and strategies that will assure that our community remains affordable while investing in our schools and physical assets for decades to come.
What is a special challenge in your precinct that might not be faced in other precincts?
Precinct 5 residents are fortunate to host two outstanding schools in Ambrose and Vincent Owen, although driving to school is often a challenge. “Drive through” commuter traffic along Cambridge Street, Johnson Road, High Street, and Church Street has exploded in recent years, resulting in frequent back-ups and accidents. The addition of traffic “calming” remedies (designated one-way streets, stop signs, lights, e.g.) might alleviate some of the problems and is worthy of consideration.
Why should voters elect you to represent them?
I bring a unique combination of experience I as a long-term resident and homeowner, management executive and business owner, in addition to Finance Committee and Town Meeting member. These roles have equipped me with valuable experience, skills and insights that will continue to benefit the town and citizens of Winchester. If re-elected to Town Meeting, I will continue to work hard to represent the interests of all to Precinct 5 residents and our shared home. I would appreciate the support of all Precinct 5 voters on March 21!
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