Candidate’s Letter: Andrew Dennington for Select Board

[Editor’s note: This spring, Southborough voters will be able to choose among two candidates for one seat on the Select Board. To help you make that decision, each candidate is invited to submit one letter to readers promoting their campaign.

As in past years, you may use comments to endorse the candidate. No mudslinging allowed here.]

To the Editor:

MySouthborough Candidate Statement 2024

My name is Andrew Dennington. I currently serve as the Chair of our Select Board. I am running for a second three-year term, and I ask for your vote on May 14. I believe that my experience and service in Town government makes me well qualified to serve on the Select Board for a second term. I offer the following summary of my background, my experience, and my priorities for my additional term on the Select Board.

My Background and Experience. I am 44 years old. My family and I have lived for the past 11 years on the south side of town, on Carolyn Terrace (off of Woodland Road). My wife Catherine and I are the proud parents of two children in Southborough schools—Anne (soon to turn 9 years old) at Woodward and Francis (6 years old) at Finn.

I am a Massachusetts native—a graduate of Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, Columbia University (undergraduate degree) and Boston College Law School (law degree). I have been a practicing attorney for the past 18 years at the same firm in Boston, where I am now a partner.

I have served for over ten years on Southborough boards and committees, including:

• Zoning Board of Appeals (2014-2019), Chair (2016-2018)
• Advisory (Finance) Committee (2019-2021)
• Select Board (2021-present), Chair (2023-present)
• Mark’s Street Park Working Group, Vice Chair (2021-2023)
• Tricentennial Committee (2023-present)

This experience has given me detailed knowledge of how our town government works … and sometimes doesn’t work. I’ve developed strong working relationships with our town administration and key department heads. All of this allows me to offer stability and continuity with an additional term on the Select Board, as we address Southborough’s long-term opportunities and challenges on a variety of fronts.

My Priorities. I want to build on the progress that we have made over the past three years in the following areas:

• Schools. We will soon reach a decision about the Neary School building project, which will have significant educational and financial impact on Southborough. As a town government official, a taxpayer, and the parent of school-age children, I will work with the School Committee to support the best possible outcome for this process.
• Public Safety. We have made significant progress with our public safety departments—with a new Police Chief, a new Fire Chief and additional staffing. We need to continue to address public safety staff recruitment and retention. We also need to continue to evaluate the potential for joining a regional public safety dispatch organization, as the level of public safety and economics for continuing our local dispatch operation become increasingly less attractive. My experience with these issues can help the Select Board work with Town Meeting to find the best solutions.
• Affordable Housing. The average price of a home in Southborough has now reached $900,000. This is putting home ownership out of reach for younger families and for seniors who want to downsize. We need a “consider all options” approach to increasing the diversity and affordability of our housing stock, including “friendly” 40B projects, leveraging the new “MBTA Communities” zoning overlay and streamlining our ability to make long-overdue use of our Community Preservation Act housing funds. I’ve been working on all of these issues and I will continue to do so.
• Taxes, Economic Development, and Fiscal Stability. We’ve done a good job limiting year-over-year percentage increases in Town spending, but due to declining commercial/industrial assessments, the overall tax burden is shifting more onto residents. To slow this trend, we need to strengthen our economic development functions, and do what we can to attract and retain businesses along Route 9 and downtown. I was proud to help support our downtown zoning bylaw update in 2021, but more needs to be done to revitalize our small downtown.
• Supporting Our Seniors. Our Senior population is growing and will continue to grow through the next decade. As one who has worked to support aging parents, I appreciate the value of local programs to support the physical, emotional and financial health of our seniors. Our Senior Center staff has been providing a broad range of services for our seniors, and I was delighted to have fully supported the new soon-to-be-completed addition to the Senior Center facility. I will continue to work to find ways to support our Senior Center and our resident seniors.
• Celebrating Our History. I am very excited to serve on our Tricentennial Committee, and I’m looking forward to celebrating Southborough’s 300^th anniversary in 2027. I will keep working with our Historical Commission and DPW to help improve our Town Center in advance of the celebration. I was also proud to serve on the St. Mark’s Street Park Working Group, and work with my colleagues to complete the new Southborough Heritage Park. I will continue to look for additional ways to use the new park and the old Town Common to tell the story of Southborough to our children, residents, and visitors.
• Civility. We’ve made progress in reducing the rancor that we have previously seen at town meetings. I will continue to work to maintain an environment where we can actively debate public issues while respecting each other’s views.

This candidate statement illustrates why I believe I can continue to be a productive member of the Select Board. I ask for your vote on May 14.

Thank you.

Andrew Dennington
10 Carolyn Terrace