Sudbury 2020 Town Election Profile: Pat Brown For Select Board

SUDBURY, MA — The Sudbury spring town election is coming up on March 30, where incumbents and newcomers will seek seats on everything from the Select Board to the Housing Authority board.

We've sent questionnaires to candidates running in key races. Incumbent Select Board member Pat Brown, 67, is running to keep her seat, which she first won in 2014. Here's what she said about why she's running again.

Position Sought: Sudbury Select Board
Family: John Pearson, spouse
Education: PhD Brandeis, 1980
Occupation: Retired, formerly a data communications programmer for 24 years
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Sudbury Select Board (2014 to present), Planning Board (2012-2014). Town Committees: Budget Strategies Task Force (2015 to present); Community Preservation Committee (2014 to present); Fairbank Community Center Task Force (2016 to 2018); Rail Trail Conversion Advisory Committee (2004 to 2015, eleven years); Strategic Financial Planning Committee for Capital Funding (2016 to 2019); Vocational Education Options Committee (2014 to 2015). Regional body: MAGIC (Minuteman Advisory Group on Interlocal Coordination) (2014 to present).
Campaign website: patbrownforsudbury.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Sudbury is managing significant challenges resulting from turnover among both our Select Board and experienced staff, including our Town Manager and department heads. We need a reliable and experienced voice in town government to ensure a smooth transition from where we are to where we want to be. I believe my continued presence as the senior member of our Board will provide that voice and enable us to move forward as a community.

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

The single most pressing issue facing our town is bringing our newly hired Town Manager onboard and up to speed. Because of the extensive powers awarded to our Town Manager through Sudbury's Town Manager Act, the Town Manager post is critical to the effective functioning of our municipal government. I will support and mentor the new Town Manager during this transition, drawing upon my experience: six years of service on the Select Board, ten years of prior town committee service, and multiple years representing Sudbury before regional planning bodies such as MAGIC. I look forward to using my background, expertise and maturity to share Sudbury's unique context with the new Town Manager, enabling him to understand local issues and concerns within the framework of the many recent developments that challenge our community.

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

I have six years of experience on the Select Board. I have demonstrated that I can and will put in the time and effort required to perform this office. I do the research and listen carefully to all viewpoints and try to form fair and reasoned opinions, but I also understand that decisions must be made in a timely fashion and endless analysis seeking perfect certainty is not an option. I care deeply about Sudbury and the honor and privilege it is to serve. I have both depth and length of experience on the Select Board, which is a policy-making board. Further, the other four members of the Select Board are relatively inexperienced, with no other member having served three years on the Board.

I also provide diversity to the Select Board. I am the single senior on the Select Board, although 23% of the town's population is over 60. I am also the sole retired member of the Board, which grants me a particular perspective. My opponent does not represent this demographic.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

The successful integration of the new Town Manager is my top priority.

Sudbury has vigorously opposed the Eversource Transmission Line project, and I am committed to continue this opposition on behalf of the community.

Sudbury participates in the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School with the town of Lincoln, under a Regional Agreement drawn up in 1954 and last amended in 1988. I am committed to updating this agreement to recognize 21st century educational reality. I also recognize this is a difficult and time-consuming process among multiple stakeholders which will require focus and effort to move forward.

Sudbury's Fairbank Community Center is a failing building. I am committed to addressing this issue and providing the facility that our community supports.

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

During the six years I have served on the Select Board, we have had unprecedented turnover: the entire Select Board turned over (starting with my election in 2014) and our long-term Town Counsel resigned; the Town Manager resigned in 2015. Sudbury voted to withdraw from the Minuteman Regional Vocational School District in 2016. The town was confronted with two major affordable housing developments (one friendly and one initially-hostile 40B) which boosted our affordable housing stock over the 10% 40B threshold but also added almost 10% to the housing stock in town. We considered several major open space purchases and several municipal building projects. Our new Town Manager resigned in 2019, requiring a second search.

During all these challenges I was able to spend the time to understand the issues: to attend meetings, to listen to residents and to staff, to read the reports and to gather information from many sources. Despite the upheaval, I was able to propose timely yet reasoned responses to the challenges we faced. My temperate and fact-based analysis helped defuse highly energized disputes and allowed us to focus on addressing the issue at hand.

The six years I have served on the Board have not been easy, but I believe I have served the town with dedication, fairness and proficiency during these challenging times.

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

The most amazing thing about serving on the Select Board is learning how many dedicated volunteers in how many capacities serve our town of Sudbury. I am very grateful to live in such a hard-working and caring community. It truly is an honor to serve. Thank you.