If you want change, vote DePompei and Gozdeck.

It’s been a long campaign. 5 candidates, weeks of discussion, thousands of dollars, 100’s of signs, one debate, a failed attempt at another, and enough e-mail, letters, and blog posts to fill a library.

In the end it comes down to this: Do we want change, or more of the same?

When an overwhelming majority of the town came together to force the change from 3-5 Selectmen, what united us was the sense things had gone wrong. Some felt cronyism had crossed a line, others just sensed it was time to add new voices to those who’d served the town for so long. A coalition was formed that decided - repeatedly, and overwhelmingly - for a change in the way things had been.

Now it’s time to fill the new Selectmen seats we created. Far from the lack of willing volunteers warned of by those who opposed us, we face a choice among 5 worthy candidates... all accomplished, all with a record of service, all willing to serve the town today.

So what will we decide? Will we complete the journey we set out on a year ago, or falter in the face of the same dire warnings protectors of the status quo have thrown at us from the beginning?

It’s time for a change. It’s time to augment the current BOS with people from outside the narrow circle of friends and allies with whom they are comfortable. It’s time to expand the participation of regular citizens in the management of our town; to increase the openness and transparency necessary to restore trust; to bring fiduciary common sense and fiscal sustainability back to our finances. Above all, it’s time for more of the kind of fact-based, proactive leadership Sudbury needs, right now.

Speaking for myself - and only myself - I ask that you join me in supporting Dan DePompei and Todj Gozdeck on June 25. Find a way to get to town hall or Fairbank in this busy season... because it really matters this time. This is it. Let’s finish the job we started, and move forward together toward a future worthy of our past.