Letter: In Support Of Jackie McCarthy For Reading Select Board

READING, MA — The following letter to the editor was submitted by Thorndike Street resident Carolyn Johnson.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I came away from Select Board candidate Jackie McCarthy’s campaign kick-off meeting ready to vote for her in Reading’s town election on April 5th. If you go to her campaign website (jackieforreading.com) you will see that she cares deeply about Reading and that she has the volunteer and professional experience to be a positive force on the Select Board.

I applaud Jackie’s high regard for the responsibility Select Board members carry for our town. She has demonstrated her diligence by taking the time to learn about and be active in Reading’s town government prior to running for Select Board: she ran for and was elected to Town Meeting and is currently a member of the Finance Committee. She will bring this important experience to the Select Board table.

Jackie values community involvement in order to minimize the chance that decisions might be made in a vacuum at Town Hall. I have no doubt that as a Select Board member, she will effectively represent the interests of Reading’s citizens, from students to seniors.

Finally, I believe Jackie’s professional background as a government relations attorney is a valuable asset. As she states on her website, it gives her “experience with seeking common ground across stakeholder groups.” At her campaign kick-off meeting it was clear that she is ready and willing to engage thoughtfully with all members of our community to work toward consensus building and sound fiscal solutions.

Please join me in voting for Jackie McCarthy on April 5th!

Carolyn Johnson
Thorndike St.