Danielle Ferrara Leonard Launches Swampscott Select Board Campaign

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Danielle Ferrara Leonard turned in her nomination papers for Swampscott Select Board on Monday as she aims to run a campaign that she told Patch is "based on ensuring that the voices of our tax-paying residents are heard."

A town resident for six years, she has served the town as a member of the town recreation committee and the parent advisory council for the new elementary school. She worked in the Swampscott School District for nearly a decade.

"I am honored to submit my candidacy for the Swampscott Select Board. I love the town of Swampscott, with its small-town feel, close-knit community, and time-honored traditions where generations of families continue to live and raise families along the ocean," she said in a statement to Patch. "As I talk to many residents of town, I am saddened to hear that many feel disconnected from our local government and that some Select Board members, as well as the Town Administrator, simply are ignoring their concerns.

"My candidacy is based on ensuring that the voices of our tax-paying residents are heard. I want to encourage residents to voice their concerns and as a member of the Select Board, I will always listen."

She said the Select Board needs to work together with the community, be open-minded and encourage those with dissenting opinions to come to the table and engage in two-way dialogue in order to "learn from each other and improve life for all residents of Swampscott."

The annual Swampscott town election is on April 30.

More information on Leonard and her candidacy can be found on her campaign website here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)