Q&A with Selectmen Candidate Joshua Ostroff

Joshua Ostroff is a current member of the and is running for reelection against former Finance Committee Chairman . For more information on Joshua Ostroff, visit Ostroff.net. The town election is March 27.

What motivates you to want to serve on the Natick Board of Selectmen?

Natick itself is what motivates me to serve. It’s where Jeanne and I raised our son Jonah and where we have benefited from the schools, libraries, public safety, and other great town services. Most important, it’s where we’ve become friends with and grown to admire many, many Natick residents who care deeply about their families and our community.

I strongly believe that government at all levels should be respectful, responsive, open and efficient. I have worked to improve town government since long before I joined the Board of Selectmen.

I have an obligation to preserve the hard-won freedoms we all enjoy, thanks to the men and women who serve in uniform. We are indebted to those who came before us and we have a duty to leave the town in good shape for the next generation.

Finally, I am inspired by my mother, Elaine Ostroff, who has been a team-building problem solver since, well, since before I was born. I grew up with a great role model for making the world a better place.

What qualities do you possess that will help you to be a positive leader for Natick?

I get things done. I insist that we understand all perspectives, then I ensure that we act. I am prepared and relentless.

I provide teamwork and communication. I have a long record of bringing people together to understand problems, figure out solutions, and share information. Government takes time, but I get better and fairer results by thinking ahead and making sure people think—and act—together.

Above all, I am proactive. I don’t wait for issues to become problems. I push the Town to anticipate and be ready for opportunities.

For much more information about my achievements for Natick, please see www.Ostroff.net.

 

What local issues do you consider to be most important to you today?

1. We need to provide excellent services affordably. We are a very well-run town. We have excellent schools, public safety, public works and libraries as well as an excellent bond rating and a record of setting aside money into reserves. All this despite a tough economy.
That requires discipline and good controls and oversight. It also requires skillful advocacy to make sure our concerns are addressed at the state level, which I have done for Natick (details at www.ostroff.net).

2. We must improve transportation and mobility. We have several projects in the pipeline that are very important to our ability to get around town, and important to attract beneficial development. From road projects to sidewalks, from transit to trails, from parking to crosswalks, we need to get around safely and more easily. I have been a leader in advocating for and delivering transportation improvements that benefit the entire community.

3. Many people are struggling and need help—this includes many middle-class and life-long residents. The town needs to reach out to people and make sure that they know where to get the resources they need. This community is not just buildings and budgets—it’s the people who make Natick wonderful. Many residents are caregivers, unemployed or overworked, or live with a disability, and they need to know that their concerns are on the agenda at Town Hall, and that their dignity is respected. This does not mean expanding the services we provide – but we need to communicate with residents for whom this information is essential. I have been a leader in making sure people know where and how to get the services they need for their families.

What are the greatest challenges that you see the town facing over the next few years?

First, managing our growth and success. Natick’s great reputation is bringing new people and new challenges. That’s been true for 65 years, but we need to bring good development to Natick so that the cost of educating the next generation of scientists, athletes, engineers and musicians does not fall so heavily on the backs of residential taxpayers, or come at the expense of public safety. That will require robust economic development and advocacy for transportation improvements.

Second, personnel transitions. We have several long-serving employees who will be retiring in the coming years, and we need to train and recruit their successors.

Finally, proper care and custody of our capital assets. Buildings, fleet, roadways and our water and sewer systems must be well cared for through a coordinated and well managed program that will include school/general government collaboration and improved reporting and assessment.

What makes Natick special to you?

The community spirit! This town—the people who call this place home—are so dedicated and caring. From the Fourth of July, to the community efforts to help fix up Cedar Gardens, to the outreach and support in the wake of tragedy, to the way so many people came
together to welcome the Moving Wall—well, I could go on, but I’m sure that every person reading this has their own examples of how the community has stepped up.

In my volunteer service I meet people from all around the state. When Selectmen from other towns learn that I am from Natick, their eyes light up and they talk about something special that happens here. That is a tribute to the community.