Why
I am
Running

For nearly three decades, I was content to remain outside of local politics.  I never had any desire to be involved as I was always satisfied that the town was well run.  But lately there has been a change.  I’ve been following several issues over the past few years and I have seen a troubling trend in the Town Council’s decision making.  I have seen the Council advance several initiatives with what seems like minimal concern for people’s objections.  Most notably, I became concerned with how the Town Council managed both override processes and with the continuous overbuilding across town. And of course, our taxes have risen dramatically over the past number of years as our home assessments have surged. In short, many residents believe we are paying a lot more money as we watch our town transform into something we do not want.   

Overbuilding

The proliferation of large, high-density housing developments has diminished the quality of life in Franklin.  These developments are far too large to be supported by our suburban infrastructure. And the strain is visible.  Traffic congestion across town is bad and getting worse, especially during peak daytime hours.  The building on East Central Street is particularly troubling.  Of course, the Taj II has not come online yet, and if the 444 East Central Street project is built as planned, we would add hundreds more residents in an already dense one-mile stretch of road. The impact of this congestion will be felt across the entire town.   

Growing our population so quickly is changing our behavior. I am aware of a road rage incident caused when a considerate driver allowed another car into traffic during a long backup.  We can expect more of this as overcrowding always leads to incivility.  It is inevitable.   

Town Finances:

My concern about our finances was spurred by our two most recent override elections.  During the first effort in 2024, the Council approved an override request of $6.8 million.  Moreover, the Council agreed to hold a special election set for just weeks after approving the override.  I saw this as disrespectful to our residents as many were denied any opportunity to speak out on the issue. Of course, the override failed despite a well-organized effort by the One Franklin campaign which was fully supported by the Council.    This was a clear indication that citizens were upset at how the process was handled as well as the large dollar amount.

Following the failed override, many on the Council were eager to immediately authorize a new override request for November of 2024, a mere five months after the failed vote.  Cooler heads prevailed, but I was amazed at the tone-deaf response by many Councilors.  To me this reflected a total disregard for the will of the electorate.  The override effort this year was better managed, as the Council held a dozen listening sessions to inform residents about the town’s finances.  However, I did not see any sincere attempt to explore how the town could save some or all of the ~$4 million override request.  All the focus was on what draconian and punitive cuts would be made if the override failed.  I found the lack of options considered very disappointing.  Again, the people spoke, and the override failed.

As I followed the override process, I looked at current and past budgets, I was stunned to see that in FY 2015 our year-end total budget was ~$100 million dollars.  Today we are spending ~$150 million.  That’s a 50-million-dollar increase, or almost a million dollars more per week now than just 10 years ago.  I can’t believe there is no room to find enough savings to balance our budget and maintain town operations.

I clearly see why so many residents feel ignored and frustrated. I am running to help fix this.  We deserve a Council that knows they represent all of Franklin and gives a voice to the many disaffected citizens.  It is time for new members who are not constrained by status quo thinking and solutions. 

We face a difficult period. Developing the new budget will be fraught with tension and competing objectives across town.  Our Council needs to lead with compassion, patience, and commit to developing a truly inclusive, shared vision of what we want Franklin to be both today and in the future.

I believe I can help us move forward.  I ask for your support.