Laurie Lee Candidate for Framingham Selectman Position on local government

The SMOC lawsuit has challenged our right as residents and officials to self govern. It exposes just how vulnerable our government, both professional staff and volunteers, including Town Meeting itself, is to such action. Even were this lawsuit to vanish tomorrow, our government and the volunteers who compose it, remain exposed.

This is a complex issue that needs to be addressed Town wide, but I would begin by strengthening the ties between our branches of government and our town departments in both vision and action.

As Selectman I will begin to address this process with communication and propose that the Board of Selectman and the Town Manager hold bi-annual meetings with Representatives of Town Meeting to discuss issues, policies and plans essential to Framingham.

For several years, the Board of Selectman and Town Manager have demonstrated responsible leadership and have been proactive and focused on issues of concern to Framingham residents. They have requested and listened to the viewpoints of Town Department heads and have faced complex and challenging issues, such as social service oversight, looking to find solutions that best serve the entire Framingham community. This has fostered communication and transparency in governmental operations that has been healthy for our community.

As Selectman, I will support this approach and support fully the Board of Selectman in their spirit of accountability, communication and transparency. I will work full time to objectively approach the challenges, positive and negative, our community faces. I will encourage and promote communication with our town departments, our town employees and our town officials. I will work with the other Selectman to develop specific goals and actions to ensure we determine who we want to be, as beautifully illustrated in their vision statement for our town.

“Our Town will become recognized as a leader among municipalities across the state in being responsive to the challenges of the 21st century and a wonderful place to live, play, work and to do business.  Our Town will have a strong sense of community with vibrant unique neighborhoods, where participation is encouraged, an open and communicative government is promoted, diversity is cherished, human differences are respected, elderly concerns are recognized, and being socially responsible without overburdening our town’s finite resources.  Our Town shall strive to assure a sense of security by providing excellent public safety and public works, strong financial health, a well managed town government with long range planning and one that encourages a healthy business sector.  Our Town will foster a sense of pride by placing a high priority on quality education, neighborhood parks, arts and culture and its library system, and one that values and promotes a clean and beautiful town”

Our town works best when its leadership and its residents can share in the process.