[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 Marguerite Landry, and I’m running for re-election to the Select Board.
Southborough is a great town, with strong community spirit, fiscal health, and outstanding, dependable departments that provide great services. Residents are happy with their neighborhoods, and enjoy a strong community spirit. We are proud of Southborough, as we move into our 300th Anniversary, next year.
Yes, we have some decisions to make about the future.
- Neary School. We’ll work together to renovate Neary in a reasonable way that residents and educators support. Northboro Town meeting supported the renovation of Lincoln Street School with an 80% vote at town meeting. With a good plan, Southborough can move forward with a school we all are proud of.
- Health care. Like most communities in Massachusetts, we are looking for ways to manage skyrocketing healthcare costs for retirees and employees. We need to partner with employees to find options that are acceptable to taxpayers and employees.
- Pension funding. We not at the top of the list of most surrounding towns in funding the state-mandated pension system, that is supposed to be fully funded by 2037. We will need to make future contributions a priority.
- We can investigate more regionalization for Town services, to see if this is a good course forward for some services. We already have a regional high school, an upcoming Regional Dispatch, and we share training, equipment and resources in many departments, such as Fire, Police and DPW.
- Tax Relief. We have the Tax Work-Off program, recently expanded to include 40 households. We have a tax deferral program, and other programs available that need to be advertised widely, so that residents can remain in town, and not be stressed about taxes.
- Planning for How We Change. Southborough is a rural town, but that can change with zoning and development that don’t create what residents want. A large scale project that is an eye-sore or health hazard is not what most residents want. Residents need to stay in control of zoning and planning for the future. We voted 771 to 12 in favor of Costco, because we wanted it. There are several very large tracts of land that are up for rezoning and development. We need to be sure residents are the ones who decide what they have in their neighborhoods and their town.
I have lived in Southborough since 1992. I came here as a single parent with financial stress, so I understand what it’s like to struggle to make ends meet. I’ve served on the Southborough Youth Commission, the Public Accessibility Committee for ADA compliance, the Library Board of Trustees (currently the chair), and the Ad Hoc Committee to create Heritage Park. I am currently the Vice Chair of the Select Board. I serve on the parish council of Sts. Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church, and for 6 years was on the Board of Directors of Holy Trinity Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, where I co-chaired the Investment Committee that was responsible for a fourteen-million-dollar endowment.
I am a retired Professor from Fitchburg State University, and have taught at Hunter College in the City of New York, Bronx Community College, and NYU.
My son attended Southborough schools, and has gone on to become a college professor, in large part due to the excellent education he received here in Southborough.
I will continue to encourage and support increased communication between Town government and residents.
I support taxes that residents agree are reasonable for the services provided.
I support reasonable zoning to increase our housing, such as ADUs, and neighborhood appropriate housing.
I continue to support the great work of all our Town Departments and employees.
I believe we can continue to plan for future growth with technology, housing and businesses, and still retain the rural charm and strong community ties of our Town.
I’m asking for your vote on May 12.
Marguerite Landry
150 Deerfoot Road
Contact: margueritelandry79@gmail.com
