Candidate Statement: Tony Boschetto for Board of Selectmen

Friends and Neighbors,

My name is Tony Boschetto, and I am pleased to announce my candidacy for the Board of Selectmen.

I have lived in Wayland for more than 18 years with my wife Kathy and our four children, all of whom attend our outstanding public schools. During this time, I have had the pleasure of working with many fellow residents on various town and school matters and community service projects.

All of these experiences, whether at a ball field , on a bicycle, or in a town meeting, have been incredibly rewarding and humbling. I have been very encouraged by the level of involvement and dedication of our citizens to make Wayland a better place.

I look forward to continuing to give back to the community in the same manner as all of those who have impacted my life over the past 18+ years.

In the last few years, several other residents and I have worked hard through town meeting and with boards and committees to help drive positive changes in the management of our town. Based on our efforts, more than $4 million of surplus, unused tax dollars were returned to you in FY2012 – for a savings of $1,000 per average household – without cutting any services. I have continued to push for more accurate budgeting, transparent reporting, and better financial controls to ensure that we do not pay excess property taxes this fiscal year. Serving as a member of the Board of Selectmen will be a great opportunity for me to expand these efforts and help implement lasting and sustainable improvements in Wayland’s financial and operational management, while maintaining and enhancing the quality of services.

Building successful organizations while driving growth and long term sustainable improvements has been the hallmark of my professional career as an accountant and management executive. These results can only be achieved by creating strong teams, listening to all points of view before identifying goals and solutions to problems, demanding excellence in all we do, and developing prudent fiscal policy with sound reporting and oversight.

One of the most exciting aspects of being a member of the Board of Selectmen will be the opportunity to work with the array of talented employees and volunteers we have in Wayland. The breadth and depth of expertise among our staff, on our various boards and committees, and among our citizens who engage in the issues, is truly remarkable.
I look forward to working together to create an environment where community input is welcomed and the interests of all residents are taken into account.

Throughout my career, I have been committed to fostering open and honest communication, and I would bring this same commitment to the Board of Selectmen. This collaborative approach has aided my effectiveness in my work with various boards and individuals to implement many improvements for the town.

On a personal note, I grew up in a hardworking family with modest means and fully understand the challenges facing many of our residents today. While my family is fortunate to have a good quality of life, we must continue to manage to live within a budget. I have developed a keen sense of what it takes to “live within your means.”

In summary, as a member of the Board of Selectmen, I believe I can provide the leadership to:

• Preserve the character of Wayland – great schools and excellent community services;
• Help bring diverse interests together to find common ground;
• Demand excellence in all we do;
• Support positive investment in the community (private and public) and encourage community input through a rigorous, disciplined, fiscally prudent process while leveraging the relevant expertise of our boards and committees;
• Drive prudent fiscal policy to maximize the benefits of our tax dollars and minimize waste and improve the reporting, oversight and budgeting processes;
• Create an environment of continuous improvement in Town government and honestly evaluate where and how to achieve positive, constructive changes that benefit all residents.

Highlights

1. Active Town Meeting participant:
   a. November 2011 – Co-petitioner of an Article to return $4 million in surplus tax dollars to property owners adopted overwhelmingly and saved average homeowner $1,000 with NO reduction in services;
   b. April 2012 – Assisted the Finance Committee in identifying adjustments to the proposed budget and offered others at Town Meeting that resulted in millions of dollars in savings and a significant reduction in the FY2013 tax rate;
   c. October 2012 – Co-petitioner of a Resolution to provide more detail in the Town’s voted operating and capital budgets; adopted by a 94 percent vote;
2. Member of Wayland’s newly established Audit Committee;
3. Strong Professional background – 25 years of solid business experience as an accountant, former small business owner, and management executive;
4. President of Wayland Baseball and Softball Association for past 3 years – provide privately-funded programs for 300+ children of all abilities in grades K through 9. Achievements include:
   a. In collaboration with local businesses, installed a new athletic storage shed at Claypit Hill School;
   b. New fencing and baseball equipment at Cochituate Ball Field, and dugouts, new fencing, signs and batting cages at Art King Field;
   c. Developed a program for Wayland High School students whereby they can earn community service hours for teaching younger children the fundamentals and rules of the game;
   d. Established a program to train middle school and high school students to be umpires for hire in local baseball and softball contests;
5. 2011 MetroWest Daily News “Person of Distinction” (with 3 other residents) for the research, introduction and Town Meeting adoption of a petitioners’ article that lowered the average Wayland homeowner’s tax bill by $1,000 without cutting any services;
6. Wayland’s 2012 Lydia Maria Child Award for Outstanding Public Service (with 3 other residents) for "saving taxpayers money by putting $4 million dollars into the town budget from free cash."

I look forward to this opportunity and I ask that you support me with your vote.

Tony Boschetto
Candidate for Selectman
www.TonyBoschetto.com

Check out coverage of Wayland's 2013 Town Election, including all the Letters to the Editor, on our topic page, Wayland Town Election 2013.