[Editor’s note: This spring, Southborough voters will be able to choose among three candidates for two on the Select Board. To help you make that decision, each candidate is invited to submit one letter to readers promoting their campaign.
As in past years, you may use comments to endorse the candidate. No mudslinging allowed here.]
To the Editor:
My name is Andrew Pfaff, and I am a candidate for Select Board in the upcoming Southborough Town Election on May 12.
Southborough has been my home since I was ten months old. I grew up here, attended Finn, Neary, Woodward, Fay School, and St. Mark’s School and now my wife Annie and I are proud to be raising our daughter here. This community has given so much to my family, and I’m running to give back through thoughtful, responsible, transparent service.
Southborough is facing important decisions in the years ahead. Rising costs, declining state aid, aging infrastructure, and increasing demands on our schools will require careful planning and disciplined decision making. These challenges are not new, but how we address them will shape our town’s future.
As a seasoned finance professional and current Vice Chair (former Chair) of the Advisory Committee, I’ve spent years working through our town’s budget and Town Meeting articles. I’ve seen firsthand how decisions are made, and too often, by the time proposals reach the Advisory Committee, many key choices have already been essentially decided. I am running to bring a more proactive, data driven approach to the Select Board, focusing on root causes, improving transparency, and strengthening how decisions are approached from the start.
In addition to my role on the Advisory Committee, my experience in town government includes serving as Vice Chair of the Elementary School Building Committee, former Vice Chair of the Capital Planning Committee, and Clerk of the Neary School Building Committee. Professionally, I serve as an Executive Director at Santander Bank, where I lead companywide strategic initiatives involving budgeting, long-term planning, and organizational transformation. This combination of public service and professional experience has prepared me well to approach complex challenges with discipline, collaboration, and a focus on long-term results. As a volunteer leader for the town since 2019, I look forward to continuing my dedicated contributions as a member of the Select Board.
If elected, my priorities will include maintaining strong financial stewardship, supporting our schools through responsible planning and oversight, and ensuring that needed growth in Southborough is thoughtful and aligned with the character of our community. That includes pursuing practical housing solutions, such as creating opportunities for affordable and attainable housing, leveraging state and federal funding to minimize the impact on local taxpayers, and ensuring that seniors have options to age in place or downsize within Southborough so they can remain in the community they love.
I also believe we should continually look for efficiencies in how our town operates, modernizing systems and processes and thoughtfully leveraging tools like data analytics and emerging technologies to improve services, increase transparency, and reduce costs wherever possible. In addition, I believe in improving transparency and communication, so residents feel informed, engaged, and confident in the decisions being made.
This election presents a clear choice: a return to past leadership, or an opportunity to bring a fresh perspective to the Select Board. I believe Southborough benefits from new ideas grounded in real experience, and I am ready to contribute both.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I respectfully ask for your vote on May 12.
Proven experience. Fresh perspective. A strong future.
Sincerely,
Andrew Pfaff
50 Oak Hill Road
P.S. For more information please visit my website at VoteAndrewPfaff.com
