Letter to the Editor: Westport needs to choose board members who will listen to residents

Sam Mundel and I need voters' help.

Westport's town election has been rescheduled to June 23. This is an important election and represents an amazing opportunity to restore balance on local town boards. We cannot accomplish this without residents' votes.

On June 23 or by absentee ballot residents will have the ability to select two individuals for the Board of Selectmen. We ask that residents consider voting for us, Sherri Mahoney and Sam Mundel.

We both worked closely together to bring the special town meeting to our town that would reinforce our town’s Right to Farm bylaw. Farming represents the heart of our community, and we were disappointed to see town boards that did not respect the rights and voices of our farming community. In town meetings we saw situations where the voices of our local residents were drowned out by certain groups who over the last few years have carefully backed political candidates into places of power in our town. We don’t believe that these groups or the board members they have promoted to their positions represent the farming, fishing or hard-working members of our community.

At local Board of Health Meetings we witnessed board members vote in favor of an animal regulation that hundreds of residents opposed. The Board of Health was encouraged by our current Select Board to implement this regulation, and not one Select Board member voted to support our Right to Farm bylaw. Yet, at our special town meeting almost 800 residents from all parts of our community came out to support our farmers and farming community. On numerous occasions we have witnessed town boards voting for regulations that do not serve the farmers, businesses, fishermen or hard-working people in our community. How is it that these boards have forgotten to listen to the voices in our community?

In just a few short months all of our worlds have changed. When we fought to protect our Right to Farm bylaw we had no idea that a virus was coming that would only highlight the value of our farming community. Voters have the opportunity to select two individuals to help lead our town through the next several years. We are two separate people with strong values and financial backgrounds, and though we will not always agree on every issue, we are of one mind when it comes to supporting the people and the community of Westport. A vote for us will be a vote for the people of Westport.

Sherri Mahoney

Westport