Daniel Freitas
My name is Daniel Freitas and I am a candidate for Re-election to the Select Board of the Town of Fairhaven. I’m a lifelong resident of Fairhaven. I raised my two daughters in town. I have served on numerous advisory boards throughout the years and have been a town meeting member for over 20 years. Prior to being elected to the Select Board, I served 5 years on the Board of Public Works. I worked for the Town for almost 20 years as a Water Treatment Facility Plant Operator. I also served for 12 years as a call firefighter. I am currently the Chief Wastewater Operator at Mass Maritime Academy.
When I first ran for the position almost three years ago, I stated several goals, which have been met:
I wanted to make doing business with the Town a bit easier. I asked for a better website to assist our residents with getting permits, making payments and such. We now have that website.
Many residents voiced their opposition to losing the vacant Rogers School to demolition. We are in the beginning stages of selling this landmark. According to the prospective buyer, they are not going to change the outside structure of the main building.
At one time it was common for Select Board meetings to last until late evening hours. As Chairman, I have streamlined those meetings. We are able to get our business finished in record time.
We have all noticed the empty storefronts around town. I’ve worked to keep the town more business-friendly and we now have stores moving into vacant buildings.
I have many goals for the future, which include:
• Maintaining a balanced budget.
• Working on getting the remainder of the Atlas Tack building demolished. It will be an uphill battle but I believe if we persist we can get some movement on this blight on the Pleasant St. neighborhood.
• Assisting in the planning of a Public Safety complex for our Police Officers and Firefighters as well as the upcoming rebuild of the sewerage treatment facility. My goal will be for our town officials to “sharpen their pencils” and keep costs to a minimum. I have shown that with my leadership we can keep a lid on these costs.
• Continuing my personal policy of making myself available to hear the voices of those that I represent. My first responsibilities are to the taxpayers. I work for you!
I respectfully ask for your vote on Monday, April 1st ! Thank you!
Lisa Plante
My name is Lisa Plante and I am a candidate for Selectman. I have lived in Fairhaven 48 of my 49 years and I can’t imagine myself living anywhere other than “The Neck.”
Fairhaven gets “into you” and it’s impossible to stray too far without being homesick. I am a mother to three wonderful children. Robert (27) is a senior at UMD and graduating this spring with a Degree in Bio Engineering. My daughters Kayla (17) and Kristen (15) are students at FHS. I also have a 7-year-old granddaughter Lillian who attends Wood School.
My late father Paul Schroeder taught me at an early age how important it is to serve your town. There was nothing more important to my dad than finding ways to volunteer and serve the town he chose to settle in and raise a family.
From volunteer Fireman, to town meeting member, to Commission on Disability, you could always find my dad involved. My platform is rather simple. I want to see A More Fiscally Responsible Fairhaven. We are a small municipality and I feel we may be growing our Town Government too big too fast. Just because we have money doesn’t mean we should spend it. Sometimes saving for that inevitable rainy day is a smart idea.
I have been a town meeting member for over twenty years. I joined the Commission on Disability and served alongside my father until I decided to seek appointment to the finance committee. Last year and presently I am serving in the position of Vice Chairman. I believe my background on the Finance Committee will be very helpful as a Selectman, with my experience working on the budget and having learned how the town runs from a financial standpoint .
Transparency is very important to me. Keeping votes and choices in the hands of the people of Fairhaven is of utmost importance to me. I don’t want to see any more positions or important decisions given to one person to decide. The people should always have a say in town government. People need to know that their voices matter and that they are being heard. I admire the selectmen for holding office hours and I plan on doing the same when I’m elected. Sitting in the Selectman’s chair is NOT about ego, it is NOT about power, it IS about serving the people of Fairhaven. When elected I vow to be fair, transparent, and most importantly HONEST.
I can be reached at 508-971-4761 and lplante12@gmail.com. I look forward to continue serving the people of Fairhaven as your next Selectman.
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