Letter: Boschetto 'Understands the People’s Town Meeting'

Editor's Note: For a full collection of support letters for this candidate, click on his hyperlinked name at the bottom of this letter under "Related Topics."

I fully support Tony Boschetto for Wayland’s newest Selectman. I urge you to vote for him for the Board of Selectmen on April 2, 2013.

Tony, through his deeds and hard work, has exceeded any normal measure of citizen value for the benefit of every citizen in the Town of Wayland. He has taken the time to understand the intricate interrelationships of municipal funding, taxation and free-cash. He has demonstrated that he understands how these things affect you, me and all of us.

Tony has proven that he wants Wayland to be better. These are not empty words – Tony played a major role in the optimizing of Wayland’s excessive, free-cash accumulation such that the citizens did come together in an organized, legislative special town meeting to discuss and negotiate – on the floor – why $4 million dollars should be given back to the taxpayers because they were,in fact, over taxed – over time. This event, unparalleled by any previous town meeting in Wayland’s past, set the benchmark for how and why the citizens do have the final say. 

Tony has made clear that the citizens have the right to question their government. The citizens have a right to be fairly taxed in an environment where town receipts can be more accurately projected and abatement overlay is not overstated. The citizen’s town meeting, originated by Tony and others, proved that we the taxpayers understand that free cash is to be accumulated with due care and oversight by the taxpayers themselves. The government of Wayland heard this grassroots message loud and clear.

By state law Wayland, and other similarly sized towns, are required to govern through town meeting. It is a free and open legislative body comprised of you, the people of Wayland.

As one of the principal starters of Wayland’s electronic voting for New England’s open town meeting, I am keenly aware that our town meeting is the people’s legislative body. Our town meeting is you, all the residents and all the taxpayers. You are the people who have the final say in how our money is being raised, allocated and spent.  

Tony has demonstrated a yeoman’s job in that he fully understands and supports this. 

While it has now been modified on his sole opponent's campaign website, I personally read and documented the following statement: "…we can’t run a $70 million town from the audience seats of Town meeting(s)."

I strongly disagree with this. This statement dismisses the legislative arm of our town government.  Remember, you are the 'audience' of that previous statement. We cannot dismiss your legal and decisive role in the running of our town. 

Elect Tony because he will be a selectman who understands and appreciates this. 

Tony Boschetto – I thank you for running for Wayland’s Board of Selectmen.
Please vote for Tony on April 2, 2013.

Alan J. Reiss
Lead petitioner Article 22, of April 2010 ‘Electronic Voting for Town Meeting’
Alan Reiss is a former member of the Wayland Board of Selectmen

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