Shawn Farrell, Candidate for Hamilton BOS, Position Statement Released

My name is Shawn Farrell and I am running for Hamilton Board of Selectman. My wife Martha and I moved to Hamilton in 2003. We immediately fell in love with Hamilton and soon neighbors became friends, and friends became family to us.

The beauty of the area with its open space and quaint downtown is undeniable and something we enjoy every day, what made us stay, what really makes Hamilton so special is the community. In the 11 years we have lived here our family has suffered some heartbreaking losses and celebrated incredible joys, like the birth of our two little boys, and through this all, this community has supported us. I am running for selectman as a way to return the favor and support this wonderful place we now call home.

I believe in community. I will strive for fiscal responsibility. I believe in supporting and improving our schools. I will work to build transparency, open discussion, collaboration, and consensus building. I believe firmly in public service not self-service. I will work toward broadening our tax base and reducing our tax burden with projects such as developing the landfill with green energy projects such as a solar array and an anaerobic digester. I will work with the Council On Aging to help our seniors in any way I can. I will focus on issues that support the community’s growth while valuing it’s past.

I have spent the last few weeks walking around neighborhoods and knocking on doors, meeting people, and discussing town issues with them. I am honored to have been able to speak with so many of you in person and I have to say that the conversations we have had, the great people I have met, have only increased my love of this town and deepened my commitment to serve it.

However; there is one thing that has come up quite a bit in these
conversations that has caused me some alarm, and that is how many people in this town feel disconnected with town government, to the point that they no longer feel voting matters. I am not sure how that disconnect has happened, as all the town officials I have met so far, whether I agree with their positions or not, have impressed me with their hard work and dedication to the town of Hamilton. But the feeling is there, so I am here to
say that the opinions of the people of Hamilton do matter. Whether you live in a one bedroom cottage or a multimillion dollar estate, whether you have young children, teenagers, no children at all, or whether you have just moved to town, or come from a family that has been here for generations, your thoughts on town issues does matter. Likewise, the issues themselves matter. The quality of our children's education, our ability to provide our seniors with ways to remain a part of the community they love for as long as they choose, how we develop our downtown area while preserving open space, what the town funds and doesn't fund, taxes, all of these things matter to all of us. Because honoring the history of the town while allowing it to thrive in the future most definitely matters.

“For the people and by the people,” only works when the people use their voice. I am running for Hamilton Board of Selectman because I want to help you use that voice. I would be honored if you voted for me. However, no matter what your vote is, I ask that you do please come out and vote. Thank you.