Photo: Tim Flood

By Tim Flood

I’m running for Selectman to provide a neutral perspective in all matters Belmont faces. The angst I have heard throughout town is that nothing will ever change. I want you to be able to share your opinions and concerns and have your voice truly heard.

I am running because our leadership has lost the trust of our community.  Town leadership is supposed to be stewards to our $120 million of public funds we give them. These funds are supposed to be used for basic services that should be providing safe and thriving neighborhoods and a prosperous business community. Belmont is not thriving fiscally. Mismanagement has led us to $166 million deficit where the apparent plan is to raise taxes every four to five years, starting next year. Without change, we will continue to lose local businesses and we will not be able to afford to live in our homes.

What can we do to improve our situation? We need to change our culture. You may have noticed I have not mailed literature with lists of supporters, nor have I solicited for campaign contributions. I not running for Selectman to represent a few, I want to represent all 25,000 residents of this town. I am here on my own merit, not on the merit of others.

Despite several e-mails circulating by other campaigns attacking my character during this race,  as voters, you must decide what to believe. I know what is true because I have lived it. However, I would ask you: Do you trust those who would disseminate falsehoods to gain power? Are those the actions of a true leader? This is not Belmont, this is not leadership.

I moved to Belmont to provide my daughter the best I could. I want her to thrive in school, be safe walking on our streets and have her grow up with a strong sense of community. I believe many of us share these values. We want leaders that will bring us together to overcome our challenges and create a vision for our future, not to divide us. We need to prepare for our future keeping in mind our shared values of community, education, family, and inclusion from our past.

We need a leader that will be fiscal responsibility. Relying heavily on our taxpayers is especially burdensome to our young families and seniors. I will work to provide more strategic and creative planning and budgeting for our future. I will do this through open discussion and working to understand differences of opinion – I will welcome all input. Every person in our community matters, just as every vote matters.

We need a leader that will support local businesses. As a local small business owner, I will use my 10 years of experience to establish more business-friendly town policies to increase community support and strengthen our tax base. I will work to encourage businesses to open and stay in Belmont using a more streamlined process to help create a more vibrant community.

We need a leader that will address our traffic. Using my military and law enforcement experience, I will work to implement new solutions to address traffic congestion and improve safety, such as four-way stops at every intersection surrounding our schools. We can make Belmont a more walkable, pedestrian-friendly town.

We need to have a diversity of leadership experiences on the board of selectman. I differentiate myself as a military veteran and local small business owner.

As your Selectman, I will work tirelessly to thoughtfully and collaboratively represent our community.  While providing a fresh, new voice to the persistent problems Belmont faces, my primary responsibility will be to represent our town. 

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