To the editor:
Recently, I spoke with a candidate running for the Swampscott Select Board. She was forthright and surprising, non-political in her approach to explaining who she was, and why she wanted to spend hours fielding calls and attending seemingly endless meetings.
I quickly realized that there was something different about this candidate. No dogma, no rehashing the same trite diatribes. I was hearing a fiscally responsible candidate whose interest was in addressing the needs of our town.
It sounds simple enough, but unfortunately reality gets in the way, and she understands that. We all want the best schools, recreation, and senior and veterans’ programs, but they all come with a cost that translates into property taxes. We talked about that. While there are no clear and simple answers it was her earnest response that was so refreshing.
When she said, and I quote, “I’m a hard-working, independent thinker with no preconceptions or hidden agendas. I simply want to help improve the town with openness and honesty. If elected, I’ll make decisions based on the most practical, cost-effective, and commonsense solutions for all our town residents,” I believed her.
When she said, “my analytical ability as an engineer, organizational skills as a businesswoman, and collaborative efforts while serving on a council in a national nonprofit organization have readied me for the insightful and challenging work expected of a Select Board member,” she earned my vote.
As two male challengers are running, it is not difficult to surmise that I am speaking of Stefanie Neumann.
Kenneth Shutzer
Swampscott
