Where New Barnstable Town Councilor David Bogan Will Focus

BARNSTABLE, MA — Barnstable's election Tuesday brought major changes to the Town Council, with four new councilors getting elected and two incumbents falling. When David Bogan began his race in Precinct 5, his opponent was longtime Council President Jim Crocker, but when Crocker died Oct. 18, the race quickly changed. Bogan found himself as the only one on the ballot facing a write-in challenge from Matt Driscoll.

"The last few weeks have been unlike anything anyone could have predicted," Bogan told Patch. "He (Crocker) leaves a legacy that is commendable."

Bogan said he hopes that legacy is something he can build upon, rather than just picking up the mantle. Following Crocker's death, Bogan suspended campaign activities and asked his supporters to take down their signs to show respect for Crocker's friends and family. He said he knew Driscoll was running an aggressive campaign against him, but ultimately decided that he would rather "do the right thing," even if it meant losing to Driscoll.

"This was not a time for campaigning," Bogan said, This was a time for the community to recognize the accomplishments Jim made."

Bogan prevailed in the election, defeating Driscoll 370-130. Now, Bogan wants to focus on the issues that himself and his supporters have spoken about the entire election season — cleaning up the town's water supply and putting a stop to investors buying single-family homes to essentially be used as hotels.

Bogan has argued that business district changes can have negative implications for town water systems, and the town needs a permanent solution to keeping water clean. He said public awareness and input need to be taken into account when making these decisions.

"If we don't remediate the situation, then we have significant problems in terms of tourism and our own quality of life."

As for the issue of single-family homes being bought up by investors, Bogan said curbing this is important for maintaining the character of the town.

"What you have is corporate entities buying single-family homes in single-family residential neighborhoods and essentially running them as hotels ... " Bogan said. "This undermines our entire zoning regulations. You take homes that could be used as residential homes for people starting families and are exacerbating the affordable housing issue."

With these issues in mind though, Bogan said the most important thing for him to do when he's sworn in as a town councilor on Nov. 18 is to listen to the concerns of his fellow constituents.

"My job is to not only do what I think needs to be done, but perhaps more importantly, what my constituents need to be done."