By Emily Mitchell
It may be March, but it’s the season of thanksgiving around here—namely, to the voters and volunteers who helped elect me as Bedford’s newest Selectman on March 9.
Since Election Day, life has been a whirlwind: I was sworn in and attended my first Selectman’s meeting (on the other side of the table, that is) on March 11, and I’m now gearing up for Town Meeting on March 25 (with a new start time of 7:00 pm!). I’m re-familiarizing myself with Open Meeting law, making sure I fully understand and can answer questions about the articles I’ll be presenting at Town Meeting, and discerning which committee liaison appointments I’d be best suited for.
Throughout the campaign and post-election weeks, one constant has been the support I’ve felt from friends, neighbors, colleagues, and fellow residents. So many people came over to me at the POMS table this past weekend during BHS’s production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF to offer their congratulations and high hopes for my service as a Selectman. And driving around the past few days picking up lawn signs (or the snow-damaged remains thereof) reminded me just how fortunate I was to have so many people willing to offer their support in a tangible way.
I don’t take that support lightly. I may not get everything right in my first weeks and months on the board, but I promise to work hard and do my best to fulfill the trust that the voters of Bedford have placed in me.
I thank the voters who elected me. I thank the many volunteers who sent postcards, made phone calls, hosted and attended campaign events, asked important questions, and came to the polls to perform their sacred civic duty. I thank my friends and colleagues in elected office in Bedford, in Massachusetts, and across the country for their advice and encouragement during the campaign. I thank my fellow candidates, Chris and Bill, for their camaraderie and friendship during our many (many!) campaign events together: I enjoyed sharing the stage with you both and helping one another get our messages to voters.
I hope the energy and enthusiasm that we saw in this year’s election transfers to Town Meeting next week, with high turnout and an engaged citizenry ready to listen, to debate, and to make decisions about the future of Bedford. As I said at the beginning of my campaign, it takes a lot of people to make a community work. Town Meeting is our best and most important way to build our community together.
In gratitude,
Emily Mitchell
P.S. As always, our friends at The Bedford Citizen are your go-to source for Town Meeting prep: https://thebedfordcitizen.org/2019/03/annual-town-meeting-begins-one-week-from-tonight-monday-march-25-at-7-pm/
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