Keep Chatham Affordable and Green

To the Editor:

I believe that the best candidates in the upcoming election for Chatham Borough Council are Democrats Carolyn Dempsey and Jocelyn Mathiasen.

Now that the federal tax plan passed by the Republican Congress has eliminated local property tax deductions, if the town is to remain both affordable for longtime residents and attractive to young families, it is necessary that Borough officials keep taxes as low as possible while providing a high quality education for our children.

I believe that Carolyn and Jocelyn make an exemplary and well-prepared team in the effort to balance fiscal responsibility with educational excellence. Between Carolyn’s background as a teacher and Jocelyn’s career as a local government consultant with a client list that includes Boston, Los Angeles, and Virginia Beach, they combine the right kind of experience, insight, and knowledge, along with community-minded values and complementary skill sets, to get the job done. They are also especially strong in their views about preserving Chatham’s historic character, which is one of our most important economic engines, and in promoting sustainable environmental practices, which is in the utmost interest to us all.

The Republican incumbents on the Council, Len Resto and Peter Hoffman, have unsurprisingly touted their relevant experience in their bid to keep their seats. But through the lens of their professional lives and years of community involvement, Carolyn and Jocelyn bring a fresh eye and new energy to such issues as preservation versus development and the best ways to cut red tape and attract more businesses to Main Street.

Carolyn and Jocelyn listen to and understand the concerns of their fellow residents. At a time when many Americans are celebrating the strengths of diversity, it is important that the crucial decisions lying ahead of us as a community are formed through a consensus of divergent outlooks. (And here it needs to be said that the Chatham Borough Council has been an overwhelmingly male domain for decades.)

I strongly support Dempsey and Mathiasen for their experience, know-how, and community spirit.