Natick Issues
The
coming years will bring significant challenges to Natick that will
require effective leadership, collaboration and judgement on the Board
of Selectmen. I look forward to engaging with Natick voters on
these and other issues in the coming months. Financial
issues will certainly dominate the coming years, because sound
management of revenues and expenditures provides the
foundation for vital services. By law, town government
must live within its means, but the level and quality of services is
something that the community must ultimately decide. The role of
the Board of Selectmen is to strategically manage our resources, set
policy for the Town adminstration to carry out, and present
citizens with the facts to make well-informed choices. Financial
The
town's budget and our ability to deliver vital services are certain to
be stretched in the near term and for the foreseeable future. Natick,
like most communities, faces costs that are increasing faster than
revenues. This gap is caused by wages, insurance costs,
expenses for state mandates and the cost of materials and
equipment, which are rising faster than projected revenues that
are overly reliant on property taxes. In
the immediate future, town finances are at additional risk
because of the economic crisis affecting national, state and local
government revenues. We will need a good faith effort including
town leaders, employees and citizens to navigate the coming year and
maintain vital services. In
the
longer term, we must work to control increasing costs for wages,
benefits, town programs and services; reform the way state funds are
returned to
Natick and other cities and towns; we must encourage targeted economic
development to broaden our tax base; and we must ensure fairness and
responsibility in funding our long-term obligations for pensions
and benefits. I believe that there
is very little
waste in Natick's budget that can be eliminated without cutting town services. There are inefficiencies in local
government, but there are limited opportunities
to significantly cut costs without also cutting the services that most
residents expect to receive. As a Selectman, one can't just
prioritize the services that my family may use; we must
cost-effecitvely deliver a range of services that are important to the
community. It is an ongoing challenge to
maintain the balance and quality of services that taxpayers
are willing to support.
Development
Natick
is an attractive community for commercial and residential development,
which often leads to conflict based on traffic, noise, property values,
and residents' expectations for the future of our community in which
many have lived all their lives. We must continue to preserve
neighborhood character by channeling development to locations with
adequate transportation and infrastructure. We must preserve
Natick's open space to enhance our quality of life, reduce development
pressure and maintain our environmental quality. Affordability
Natick's
economic diversity must be sustained by encouraging affordability of
town services, housing, and basic human needs. This is an issue
for many elders, but also for young families and individuals.
Natick must continually attend to the coordination of
services for those in need, and otherwise ensure that all who have
contributed to our community can continue to call it their home. Public Safety
Natick's
police and fire departments are staffed and led by men and women who
must anticipate and respond to new challenges in a changing world.
The training, equipment, facilities and working conditions of our
first responders must keep pace with these challenges. Education
Public
education is a cornerstone of our society. We in Natick
have high expectations for our students, and they should have high
expectations of us. We must educate children of all abilities to
achieve their potential and thrive in a globalized economy, while
advocating for fairness in state and federal funding and charter school
reimbursement. Excellent schools must complement, not compete
with the services, programs and people that make
Natick a complete community. Transportation
Mobility
is a must. We have made some progress but there's more to be done
in improving our transportation network so it works well for motorists,
pedestrians, train and bus riders. Businesses, residents, school
children and public safety responders who depend on safe and reliable
routes. Transportation solutions are essential to economic
development, independent elders and smart housing solutions. Capital projects and maintenance
Major
projects in the year to come will include high profile projects such as
a replacement for Natick High School and a new Senior Community Center.
We also have to maintain our infrastructure, fleet and roads,
anticipate increased school enrollment, plan for a replacement to the
West Natick Fire Station, and carefully manage our debt service costs
to provide the flexibility to responsibily manage future projects. Citizen involvement and communication
Natick's
government is powered and directed by its citizens, with a high caliber
of volunteers who help to set policy and shape and enact local budgets
and laws. Our past and future success as a community is traceable
to the people who step forward; they must be encouraged and welcomed.
We must continually strive for open, accessible and inclusive
government to live up to our potential.
Issues and the Board of Selectmen
The
role of a Selectman is not just to take a side on an issue. We
must all ensure that issues are fully and fairly
decided, considering a range of views and voices before a public
vote. There are many issues that come before the Board. Some
affect the entire town; others are important to a neighborhood or a
single household. Whatever the
issue, I will continue to provide thoughtful and effective leadership
on the issues of importance to you as a citizen, and to all of us as a
community. Please see the achievements
page for some examples of what I have helped to accomplish in Natick.
If you want more information, or have a question, idea or concern about
any issue, I would be grateful to hear from you at joshua@ostroff.net or 508 654-3330.
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