Tewksbury Election 2019: Candidate Profile Of Todd Johnson

TEWKSBURY, MA -- This is the first in a series of Tewksbury Patch profiles of candidates running in contested races in the Tewksbury town election on April 6. Today we look at Selectman Todd Johnson, who is running for reelection against Selectman Anne Marie Stronach and challenger Jayne Wellman Miller, who is Tewksbury Town Moderator.

Todd Johnson was first elected to the board of selectmen at the start of the Great Recession, when Tewksbury and other Massachusetts towns were facing a sudden drop in tax revenue and state aid. It's that experience, Johnson says, that makes him the best pick in the three-way race for two seats on the board that are up for reelection on April 6.

"Voters trusted me when times were toughest to work hard to improve our town and finances. Some decisions were difficult, but I always voted with the best interests of Tewksbury in mind," Johnson said. "Along the way, I’ve sought to give residents as much input as possible on key decisions."

Johnson, who lives with his wife and has two grown children, has served on the town's finance committee. He noted that the town received its highest bond rating while he has served as selectmen, a measure of a municipality's fiscal responsibility.

"I’m proud to be a leader on the team that accomplished that and to be among those who continue to foster prudent daily management of our town’s affairs. We’ve established a real stabilization fund; adopted clear policies to guide fiscal decisions; begun addressing retiree health care obligations; and hired an outstanding town manager," he said. "Wherever possible, we’ve softened the tax burden on homeowners by refinancing debt, saving literally millions of dollars for taxpayers, and shifted some of our tax burden to commercial payers."

Are you running for office in Tewksbury on April 6? Contact Dave Copeland at dave.copeland@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Tewksbury Patch.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).