LETTER: Write-in for Waterbury Select Board, Roger Clapp

February 25, 2022

To the community: 

I want to take this opportunity to thank members of the Waterbury community who've encouraged me to run as a write-in candidate for a one-year term on the Select Board. With your support, I pledge to represent the concerns of Waterbury residents with calm and compassionate judgment. With the imminent retirement of our town manager, I believe we need this type of leadership to guide the selection of his replacement and prepare Waterbury for the challenges ahead. 

As a 22-year village resident with one kid still at Harwood, I am well connected to the issues facing our community as we emerge from this pandemic. I am committed to facing the challenges of affordability, inclusivity and growth. I'm proud of the leadership Waterbury has taken in renewable energy and will be an advocate for innovation while continuing to build on the community values that make Waterbury a cherished place to live and raise a family. As current president of Waterbury Winterfest, I have championed expanding access to recreation and healthy lifestyles. As a co-founder of the Vermont Fresh Network, I respect those who shape our working landscape and the creativity and long hours of those in the food industry. As someone making a living by working for an international organization, I understand how special a place Waterbury is and its interconnections with lands as distant as Ukraine. 

Roger Clapp has entered the race for two one-year seats on the Waterbury Select Board as a write-in candidate.

I believe we have a great opportunity to make Waterbury function more efficiently by unifying the town and the utility district. I also believe that the windfall federal funding will help us make key capital improvements instead of raising taxes. I support the initiative to invest in recreational planning to get past hours of unproductive bickering. I don't promise to solve all Waterbury's issues, but do commit to applying myself as a strong team player to make the Select Board a sound guardian of the interests of the residents of this town. 

Thank you for your support. 

Roger Clapp 

Waterbury