TOWN ELECTION 2007
PATTY ROGGEVEEN
Candidate for Board of Selectmen

PATTY ROGGEVEEN + Age: 47 + Years on Nantucket: 10 + Occupation: Director of the Nantucket Community School + Town board memberships: Council for Human Services + Family status: Married with three children

This week the selectmen candidate interview is with

Patty Roggeveen who is running against Rick Atherton, David Gray, Allen Reinhard and Neville Richen for two open seats.

The election is April 3. 1. Do you favor or oppose the idea of the selectmen appointing Planning Board, Historic District Commission and Shellfish and Harbor Advisory Board members rather than having them elected?

"More democracy is always better than less democracy. Elections are the way people tell their government what they are thinking. This is especially important when a board or commission has to make controversial decisions. Changing from elected to appointed boards and commissions shows a fundamental lack of trust in the people, and I believe that's just wrong."

2. Do you see any ways to reduce or keep tight checks on the town budget in light of growth demands on services and infrastructure?

"[Town Administrator] Libby Gibson worked hard to reorganize the town's health insurance contract providing better coverage for fewer dollars. This kind of initiative shows a need for a strong town manager free of a micro-managing Board of Selectmen, which only wastes valuable staff time with no beneficial results. It also speaks to the value of our town employees and their dedication to doing what's best for the community in which they work and live."

3. Do you believe issues facing the island today warrant a need for a full-time, paid Board of Selectmen or some other form of government?

"Without looking at the big picture, tinkering with the power relationships between the Board of Selectmen and other town entities is nothing more than an attempt to consolidate power. The people aren't blind to the effects of this maneuvering. If we do believe a different way would work better on Nantucket we need to thoroughly investigate what it would look like and its implications, otherwise it is like we are changing the wall paper while the pipes are still leaking."

4. Do you believe the town should pay the Waste Options arbitration award of $1.2 million since interest on the amount has been accruing at $12,000 a month since the decision and the town's appeal at the end of November?

"The particulars of the case are not public knowledge, and it would be irresponsible to comment on the situation without this information. But I will say, as a taxpayer, I am concerned as to why our Town Counsel encouraged us to go forward with a lawsuit in the first place. If we don't have the merits for appeal we probably didn't have what we needed to make the suit. Town Counsel is very expensive. It is important for us to see how these expenses have grown over the years. This is a budget area of great concern to me."

5. Do you believe Town Meeting Article 46 prohibiting selectmen from any town job requiring 20 or more hours a week will eliminate qualified candidates for the board?

"Absolutely. This is about disenfranchising a valuable part of our population, and it begs the question, where will this disenfranchisement stop? Anyone who holds any job will ultimately have a conflict. Nantucket is unique in that town employees live and work here. They have no choice. They are invested in the community as residents in a manner unlike the mainland where people often work and live in different places. The article itself also is disappointing. The rationale as to why it was put forward doesn't match with what it actually does, and there are many nuances to town employment: day work or night work; people who report only to the school committee and not to [the town administrator]; unionized and non-unionized, and enterprise departments like the water company. This article recognizes none of them. I support the Finance Committee position

not to recommend this article." I