(Note: Both candidates for Selectman have been invited to sit down for an interview. We are awaiting a response from Mr. Livingston)

Tom Hurley, candidate for Board of Selectmen, is a numbers guy. When he is not crunching numbers as a CPA, he is crunching them as a member of the Warrant Committee.

“You need an ability to pull people together.“

It is this experience that has provided him with a solid understanding of municipal finance, government auditory practices, how town departments run and interact, and an overall revenue picture of the town. He understands  “where the[town] revenue comes from and how meager it is.” And it is this experience and knowledge that he believe best qualifies him as a candidate for selectman. In addition, he is a small business owner who has developed an ability to be decisive.
“There are times when you need to decide, quickly and fairly,”  Hurley said. But he also notes that in both business and on the Warrant Committee, “You need an ability to pull people together. That needs to continue.”

When he discusses the town’s priorities, Hurley cites the need to explore regionalization. “We really need to explore regionalization. The state is encouraging it.” One opportunity in this area is health care. (You can find a state notice and information here.) Hurley also noted that Massachusetts is the only state with local 911.

However, “the biggest issue we face right now is collective bargaining.  They [town departments] have been pushed to the hilt. Two years of level-dollar budgets  impose about a  3% decrease a year. They can’t keep doing this.”

Hurley is eager to see the new consolidated facilities department working to see if it works, and if it does, to expand upon it. He also cited the need to get the wind turbine up and running.

“They are tough decisions, but sometimes you just have to make them.”

Every enterprise, public or private, has its challenges. Hurley says that laying people off was one of the toughest in his professional life. “It goes against my nature to do that. They are tough decisions, but sometimes you just have to make them.”

But challenges can also bring rewards. Hurley has “overseen a budget process in very difficult financial years and come back out with a budget that was fair and accepted by all.”  He acknowledges that the most recent override “was desperately needed money and has gotten us through.”

“.  .  . coming out of Boston into Milton is like being in another world“

Hurley understands that change is inevitable, and while he recognizes that it does not come under the purview of the Board of Selectmen, he is concerned about the lack of a master plan that will direct development. “What’s haunting us as a town is that we have no plan for dealing with 40B.”  He shares concerns of many about a 40B proposal for a tract off Randolph Ave near the DPW yard. Hurley’s concern is that absent a master plan we cannot effectively challenge appeals made by developers. He argues that developers would have a harder time winning appeals if we had a municipal plan in place. Of course, the cost of such a plan is an issue. Hurley wonders if it would be possible to earmark a certain amount each year for a period of years to build a fund to help finance the effort. The plan would include parameters for commercial development, be vetted and discussed by all. “We need the commercial base to be as good as it can be. Commercial development can make the town stronger  and bring a community together. The master plan needs to be our vision for change.” But he notes that, “We need to be really careful as a community . . . coming out of Boston into Milton is like being in another world. That’s what people are here for.”