Dear fellow Hanoverians:
Below please find the candidate information sheet exactly as submitted by
Robert S. O’Rourke, candidate for re-election to a three year term on the
Board of Selectmen. Apologies that the formatting does not always copy
well.
Candidate Information Sheet
Name:__ Robert S.
O’Rourke__________________________________________________________________________
Office Seeking: Board of
Selectmen__________________________________________________________________
Address: 43 Hillside
Dr.__________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone number: (C)
781-248-6170_______________________________________________________________
Length of Residency: 50
years__________________________________________________________________________
Please list relevant experience (education, vocation, etc.) you feel will
be useful in the office you are seeking.
I believe my years serving on the DPW Board (2005-2010), the last 3 years
on the Board of Selectmen and currently working at the Massachusetts State
House gives me the insight on how State and Town government works. My
years working for State Representative Robert J. Nyman gave me the ability
to learn how important constituent service is and how it plays a part in
town government.
What are the major issues confronting the town which involve your office?
Please express your opinion on these issues and how you propose to deal
with them.
Currently, I believe there are 3 major issues confronting the town; Senior
Housing, Water Quality, and the future of the Hanover Mall.
1. Senior Housing-
Making Hanover a place where our seniors who have built a life, raised
children, and contributed to our community, can continue to live affordably
is an important priority. Recently, a bill was filed at the State House
with the Committee on Revenue (HB 1524). This bill would create a local
option to provide a residential property exemption for taxpayers who
qualify for the senior circuit breaker tax credit. I would like to see if
we could create a local version of this bill. In addition, creating more
housing – like the current Sylvester School Project – should be supported
and pursued.
2. Water Quality-
This has been a priority for me, as both a DPW Commissioner and a
Selectman. Although, there have been some hiccups along the way, our hard
work is beginning to pay off. We just received a briefing from DPW
Director Victor Diniak, and our testing for chlorine byproducts is at its
lowest level in years. That doesn’t sound very exciting, but it is good
news and is indicative of the hard work and investment in our water system
that is delivering cleaner, better water to the residents of Hanover.
We’re enhancing our social media outreach and have an aggressive program
to keep residents informed on flushing, construction, and system
improvements. I will continue to support our treatment and distribution
systems, including significant water main replacement projects.
3. Hanover Mall-
More than a generation ago, the Hanover Mall was constructed and was a
state-of-the-art retail facility. Over the years, the mall’s position as
the premier shopping location on the South Shore faded away. Today, we
have an opportunity to partner with the new owners and restore the Hanover
Mall to its rightful position as the town’s economic engine. I support
working closely with PREP, the new owners, to protect the town and create
new value and new tax revenue. This is an incredible opportunity to
create new tax revenue that we can invest in our community and our future.
Why are you running for this office?
Boston Magazine recently named Hanover as one of the “Top Places to
Live” on the South Shore. That doesn’t happen by accident and I am
proud of our success. I care about this community and I want to continue
to help move Hanover forward. I enjoy volunteering and serving as a member
on the Board of Selectmen and would appreciate your vote on May 6th.
For “Around Town on the Web”,
Cathy H-B
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