Carol Nestler for Selectmen: Fiscal Discipline with YOUR tax dollars

I am writing this in support of Carol Nestler for Easton’s Board of Selectmen. I have had the privilege and pleasure of working with Carol for eight and a half years, including the last year on the Town’s Finance Committee. Carol has the determination, inquisitiveness and objectivity required of the job, and her integrity is beyond reproach.

Carol asks questions beyond whether a given issue is good for Easton right now. She digs to see if the decision being made will be sustainable beyond the immediate horizon. She seeks to find out if there are any ‘gotchas’ the Town could face down the road. She is passionate about what she does and diligent in how she handles anything presented to her.

This passion has been in full force the past couple of budget cycles particularly as it pertains to funding the Town police and fire departments. Yes, times have been tough for everyone, and we as a community are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, the police and fire budgets have not been given the proper funding they deserve, and the chiefs have had to make emergency budget requests to supplement their overtime budgets, requests they should not have to make if they were properly funded.

Carol made a salient point during the candidate debate – if the school department ran under the same deficit spending the police department has had to, we would have had to lay off 30 teachers. As she said “We wouldn’t tolerate it in the schools, and we shouldn’t tolerate it at the police and fire department”. Truer words were never spoken, and Carol will make it a priority that these two departments get the funding they deserve so they can be fully staffed and continue to protect the citizens of Easton.

Carol truly wants to do what is best for Easton. She doesn’t look at a project and just give it a rubber stamp. She wants to ensure that any decision the Town makes not only is in the best interests of the Town and its taxpayers, it is sustainable. That is why she should get your vote on April 30.

Ben Hampton

Pine Lane