Following is the statement that was submitted by the candidate.
My name is Scott Rogers and I am a current member of the Northborough Financial Planning Committee. I ask for your support by June 30th for Board of Selectman.
I currently work at UMass Medical School and my wife Mary is a school nurse at Melican; we have lived in Northborough since 1995 after my end of duty in the US Air Force. I am dedicated to community service and volunteerism. I served on the board of Northborough Youth Soccer and guided High School volunteers as part of Young Neighbors in Action. I am a member of the Operations Committee for Community Harvest Project which supplies fresh produce to the Worcester County Food Bank.
More background information can be found at https://www.facebook.com/RogersOfNorthborough
As a member of the Financial Planning Committee, I serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Selectmen, Appropriations Committee and Town Administrator for financial trend analysis, long-term capital improvement planning and current-year capital purchases. My knowledge of our town’s financial management will be critical as a Selectman during this period of financial distress.
I look forward to working with the Planning Board as projects from the Northborough Master Plan are prioritized for implementation. We have an opportunity for developing downtown, supporting commercial development, improving public facilities, and enhancing our open spaces. Although we may not have funds for immediate starts, now is a good time for more detailed planning.
I am troubled, however, by what seems to be a division in Northborough. Some see the consensus between town staff, boards, and committees in the last 10 years as everyone working together towards a common purpose. Others have developed a perception that decisions are simply “rubber-stamped”. I have heard dichotomies of Leadership vs. Followership and Status Quo vs. Change. My objective is to reduce this division, listen to all recommendations and make constructive changes when warranted.