Issues

People. Places. Progress

PEOPLE
Empowering Our Community

Invest in Resident Engagement

As an early priority, I will work to improve town-wide engagement and communication to increase awareness of resources and volunteer opportunities.

Canton has a wide variety of ways that residents of all ages can get involved that they may not even know about. As a member of the Select Board, I will work with the Town Administrator and Communication Specialist to create and manage an easily accessible, highly visible up-to-date comprehensive Canton calendar that incorporates all school and town-sponsored events and meetings.
Residents should also have access to all town happenings and be able to opt-in to periodic robocalls with updates about school and town-wide gatherings.

Lead With Compassion

Transparency and respect are essential. I commit to open meetings and holding one another accountable for civil, respectful discourse.

Support Municipal Excellence

I will provide our town employees with support, resources, and opportunities that foster the kind of compassionate and inclusive culture we all want in our own workplaces.

Our municipal employees are our biggest asset and have first-hand knowledge on ways that we can improve and innovate services. As a Select Board member, I will support our human resources department to intentionally elicit ideas and create additional pathways for growth, cross-function opportunities and encourage professional development.

Champion Inclusivity & New Participation

Inclusivity is at the core of my beliefs. I will intentionally invite diverse voices and fresh perspectives into town conversations and committees by reevaluating committee appointment methods and exploring term limits.

A sense of belonging is a product of making room for more voices and inviting residents (particularly those newer to Canton) to participate. As a Select Board member, I will personally invite and urge underrepresented residents to participate in our local government.

PLACES

Preserving & Enhancing Our Assets

Support Sustainable and Strategic Growth

Canton has a Master Plan that was developed several years ago that outlines goals and strategies through 2035, including a Baseline Report, Road Map, and Action Plan. The Road Map outlines how Canton has plans to live, work, play, connect, protect and adapt.

Our community has invested significant time and resources to develop this roadmap, which paves the way for initiatives that improve our quality of life across the town. Despite great intentions, the shifting makeups of boards and committees amid terms, as well as urgent priorities, have stalled enacting some of the plan's progress.

Our goal, as the Select Board, should be to help the town meet those goals. In my three years on the Select Board I will prioritize championing these long-term plans, including:

More proactively maintaining municipal buildings and bringing creative solutions to solve our challenges with meeting and recreation spaces.
Championing enacting this comprehensive blueprint for excellence and be sure that every department and committee works collectively to achieve its goals.
If needed, recommending the creation, merging and/or sunsetting of committees and pooling resources so that we are all working together to reach the town’s goals.

Protect Our Environment

I commit to preserving remaining open spaces, protecting natural resources and air quality, and to common-sense climate action and access to clean, affordable energy to meet the urgency of the moment.

I will work collaboratively to explore opportunities and establish pathways to advance energy affordability and independence through clean energy generation and storage to help ensure a resilient future for Canton.
I am interested in the adoption of the Specialized Code and I plan to establish a working group to assess the feasibility and benefits of establishing a Municipal Light Plant for Canton.
I will also work with various committees to educate residents in new ways about programs and initiatives that protect our environment, cut our energy consumption and costs, and place Canton in a competitive position to secure federal and state grants.

Strengthen Infrastructure

It’s important that we implement Canton’s short- and mid-term policies while developing a long-term strategy to address aging infrastructure. We need to prioritize a plan to replace municipal buildings’ heating systems, which have reached the end of their lifespan, with clean, cost-saving energy systems.

I will support implementation of Canton’s Climate Action Plan and Decarbonization Roadmap, which provides a well designed plan, specifically to Accelerate Municipal Decarbonization and Energy Efficiency and includes the establishment of a Town Sustainability and Energy Manager.
I’ll also ensure we honor the framework and timelines that the Masterplan Implementation Team has set through 2035 and address the infrastructure of our buildings before maintaining them becomes cost-prohibitive.

Honor Our History

We have an incredible history in Canton. I will pursue "Historic Town of Canton" status by elevating the Paul Revere Heritage Site and the Canton Historical Society, potentially opening up visitation, tourism, and grant opportunities The Site has opened the door for Canton to become a Greater Boston hub of history and a destination for those traveling through the area.

I will collaborate with the Canton Historical Society and Museum of Discovery and Innovation (MODI), to look for grant opportunities to capitalize on our historic roots.
Likewise, it’s important to tie this amazing asset to our downtown with signage from Canton Center that points pedestrians and visitors to our closest equivalent of a town square and an historic site.

PROGRESS
Moving Canton Forward

Partner With The Commonwealth

I am a passionate representative for ALL in our community and will leverage my experience in state-level advocacy to collaborate with MA departments on important measures that give our residents a better quality of life.

By 2030, residents over 60 will comprise nearly half of our community’s population, but life is only getting more expensive, hitting those on fixed incomes hardest. I will work to maintain and create additional affordable housing opportunities for our seniors who wish to age in place and/or in Canton overall.
I’ll advocate for PAPPAS Rehabilitation Hospital to support its patients, families, and employees so that they can remain at home as members of the Canton community. (PAPPAS has been a staple in Canton for decades and I will work with the State and local legislatures to advocate for our most vulnerable residents and their families).

Modernize Governance & Ensure Smart AI Use

I will address operational challenges by asking, "How is this process serving us now?" while seeking efficiencies through collaboration and smart technology investments. For example:

The Bylaw Modernization Committee has made great progress addressing process improvements. I will work with the Finance Director and Town Administrator to fund the leveling up of (and rollout) of technologies and efficiencies to ensure Canton takes advantage of available grant revenue.
AI is everywhere now in our personal and professional lives, but the technology comes with risks. I will help ensure that we have a robust policy and terms of use for each of our departments & functions to take advantage of vetted AI tools that are purpose-built for municipalities and will make our employees’ jobs easier.

Improve Affordability

Everyday life is getting more expensive. I will investigate and pursue policies that ensure Canton remains affordable so all residents can prosper. This is a perfect opportunity for an open forum where residents can present ideas.

We need to improve affordability, from investing in the Housing Trust to ensuring equitable water rates or offering residents preferred pricing & early signups for recreation programs.
Canton’s strength is rooted in our diverse wealth of resources and population. We need to ensure that Canton is both welcoming and more affordable, not just now, but for the next generation. As a Select Board member, I will explore policies to help reduce energy and operating costs and review rates to make this happen.

Better Ensure Safety & Trust

We will benefit from stronger regional partnerships with contiguous municipalities to improve traffic flow, roadway quality, and safety.

I will collaborate with local officials to ensure walkability and pedestrian safety and engage Committee leads, the DPW, and Police and Fire Chiefs to assemble a Canton Safety Coalition to address safety, speed violations and road repair needs to keep our neighborhoods and downtown thriving and safe.
Transparency with public safety officials is also important. I will meet regularly with the Chief of Police, not only to see that remaining recommended reforms are enacted, but to support ideas for officer engagement throughout the community.