Sudbury 2020 Election Profile: Charles Russo For Select Board

SUDBURY, MA — The rescheduled Sudbury spring town election is coming up on June 23, where incumbents and newcomers will seek seats on eight different boards and commissions.

We've sent questionnaires to candidates running in key races. Conservation Commission member Charles Russo, 42, is challenging incumbent member Pat Brown, who is running to keep a seat she first won in 2014. Here's what Russo told Patch about why he's running this year.

READ: 2020 Sudbury Election In June: Who's On The Ballot

Charles Russo

Age (as of Election Day): 42
Position Sought: Select Board
Family: Wife Emily, children ages 4 and 2
Education: BS, Journalism, Syracuse University, 2000. ALM, Sustainability and Environmental Management, Harvard University Extension School, 2014.
Occupation: 20 years communications experience: Healthcare IT and Civil Engineering Marketing - 10 years, Municipal Journalism - 10 years
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Conservation Commission Member, 2014-current Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Design Task Force, 2017
Campaign website: www.RussoForSudbury.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

In the end, I'm running for Select Board to help hand off a even more wonderful community to the next generation. What spurred me to run for Select Board is the same thing that caused me to join the Conservation Commission six years ago - inaction. I joined the Conservation Commission because meetings were being cancelled because not enough members were attending. So I joined. Similarly, the "can has been kicked" down the road for some major issues in town - the Community Center, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, and more. Action is needed. As a former reporter, I also bring a focus on transparency and openness that will benefit the Select Board, and Town.

The single most pressing issue facing our town is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Managing the short- and long-term health, financial, and operational effects of coronavirus will require continual evaluation until we reach a “new normal.” It won’t be like flipping a switch. There are costs to staying closed and costs to reopening. Safety is the priority. I will use transparent, open communication and collaboration to find the right balance.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am not afraid to speak up. I spoke out against the proposed Eversource transmission line, the Sudbury Station development proposed for our historic Town Center, and led citizen efforts to preserve Broadacres Farm, which won overwhelmingly approval from seven Town Committees, at Town Meeting, and at the ballot box. My process is to listen, explain my position, listen some more, and then vocally advocate for the decision I believe is correct. The Select Board needs members willing to performing the necessary due diligence on projects and then follow through with advocacy for the ones that will benefit residents.

In addition, I have young children just beginning their journey in the Sudbury schools, and my retired parents are house hunting in Sudbury. In my home, the balance between the affordability of homes and taxes and access to high-quality facilities and services is dinner table conversation. I’m committed to this Town for the long haul and can relate to the varied perspectives of residents of all ages in town.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

It's time to move the needle on some long-delayed projects in town. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail has been discussed, studied, and always approved by voters, since 2004, yet we are years behind neighboring communities in bringing this amenity to town. A replacement for the Fairbank Community Center has been discussed since 2012, yet Select Board support for a plan remains mixed. There has been enough foot dragging.

I am willing to trust residents with the hard truths of an issue, tell them what I think, and be held accountable for that.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

I will bring an environmentally- and sustainability-minded perspective to the Select Board, which is currently lacking. I support progress for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, which has proven to be a valuable asset to neighboring towns and would bring a much-needed community amenity accessible to residents of all ages and abilities to Sudbury. I have no personal agendas I want to advance, and will make decisions based on the best long-term interests of the Town.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Six years of participation on the Conservation Commission, as well as concurrent participation on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Design Task Force for part of 2017 demonstrate that I understand municipal committee operations and that I can handle the workload.

My work leading the citizen efforts to preserve Broadacres Farm, which won unanimous support from seven Town Committees (including Select Board), a near-unanimous vote at Town Meeting, and more than 6,000 votes in favor at the ballot box, show I can get things done. Many residents and Town staff contributed to the effort, but I am the one who attended every committee meeting and argued in favor of the project, I organized the resident turn out at meetings, and I spoke at Town Meeting. The overwhelming approvals I won across the board for the project shows I can win consensus.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Focus on achieving the right outcome, not on being "right."

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I'm constantly inspired by the wonderful things the people in Sudbury do, and will do my best to support and encourage these efforts