Dear fellow Hanoverians:
Below please find our second Candidate Information Sheet!
Name: Douglas Thomson
Office Seeking: Town Moderator
Address: 992 Main St.
Phone: 781-878-3438, moderator@hanover-ma.gov
Length of Residency: Last 29 years and 50 of my 56 years
Relevant Experience List:
I am a life-long, third generation Hanover resident and regular, active
participant in all Town Meetings, even before I was moderator. I was a
founding member of the Hanover Open Space Committee and served as Chairman
for 7 of my 9 years with the committee. I have been your Town Moderator for
the past 14 years. Professionally, I am the Vice President of Granite State
Manufacturing, a New Hampshire company that builds military and medical
equipment. I also manage Washington political relations for the company. I
have a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Syracuse University and am a
graduate of Hanover High School. I have been married for 29 years and my
wife and I have two children, who are 24 and 26.
Major Issues Confronting the Town which involve this office:
The most important issue for the Town Moderator is promoting widespread
participation in town government. The biggest challenge for the town as a
whole is financial. Our revenues are not sufficient to address many of the
needs and interests of the citizens at a level which is desired by those
citizens, be they schools, public safety, recreational facilities or other
concerns. As Moderator, it is very important for me to carefully seek out
skilled individuals to serve on the Advisory Committee as well as the
multiple other committees I appoint. As Moderator, I also work to actively
encourage all citizens to contribute to the debates at town meetings. As we
all face this unprecedented challenge of a global pandemic, I am working
closely with the Board of Selectmen, Town Manager, Advisory Committee and
others to make sure that when we hold Town Meeting, all residents will have
the same open opportunity to debate and vote on the issues that matter to
all of us.
Why am I running for this office?
Quite simply, I am running because I am confident that I can continue to
effectively serve as the lead advocate for participation in Hanover local
government. In my 14 years as Town Moderator, we have seen modest growth in
Town Meeting attendance and have never faced the lack of quorum issues that
challenge other towns. I’m particularly proud that the we were able to
hold our 2020 Town Meeting with a crowd of 275 townspeople. That was
certainly a unique experience at Starland.
I’m proud of Hanover’s active participation but I will never be
satisfied until we are constantly challenged to find a big enough space to
hold the meeting. Please work with me to encourage your friends and
neighbors to attend the one meeting a year where one vote can make all the
difference.
The Moderator has many appointments. Beyond the major standing committees,
these appointments often include temporary study committees, which are
ideal for getting broader participation, often from those interested in
beginning to help out. I will continue working hard to get more residents
involved in committee work. I will also take the time at Town Meetings to
explain the proceedings to be sure that everyone understands the debate and
feels welcome to participate. Broader participation of citizens in their
government ensures fairer democracy.
For “Around Town on the Web”,
Cathy H-B
—
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