Jerry McMahan: ‘The Town needs to be proactive’

Jerry McMahan is running for re-election to the Duxbury Selectboard. Courtesy photo.

Dear Duxbury residents,

I am running for the three-year Duxbury Selectboard term that is up for election this year.

I live on Mountainview with my wife Andrea and her son Caulder, and have been a Duxbury resident for over 18 years.  I have served on the selectboard for the last 3 years.  Professionally, I am a chemist in the VTrans Materials Lab, a position I have held for 20 years.  It involves dealing with the properties of construction materials, chemical safety and environmental regulations.

While I love living in Duxbury, it is undeniable that we have some serious challenges keeping our infrastructure together.  I believe that the condition of some of our roads and the Town Garage provide a disincentive for people to join, or stay with, our road crew.  The Town needs to be proactive in armoring our roads and structures against extreme weather events rather than constantly repeating large emergency repairs.  This costs more money than we would like up front (I pay taxes too) but I believe spending now will result in long-term savings and safer roads for residents and visitors.  

Another thing I feel we need is better transparency and communication between Town officials and residents.  While our Zoom meetings over the last year had to overcome a few stumbling blocks, there are also some benefits.  People can listen and participate without having to travel to the Town Office.  It is my hope that the use of Zoom will continue even when the Board is meeting in person again, as it will make it easier for citizens to participate in Town government.  

I support the ongoing efforts by CV Fiber and others to secure faster, more reliable Internet for the whole Town.  It is vital to the well-being of our citizens and for attracting economic activity to the Town.

Thanks for your consideration,

Jerry McMahan

North Duxbury