Each week, the Abington News is asking the three candidates for the Board of Selectmen a question to help voters better understand them as candidates. Election Day is Saturday, April 29.
Candidate responses are published as submitted, in the order they were received, and were not edited.
This week’s question: What experiences and qualifications do you have that makes you a good candidate for the Board of Selectmen?
KEVIN DONOVAN
First and foremost thank you very much to Abington News for providing this forum to discuss the qualifications of the current candidates seeking election to the Board of Selectmen in the April 29, 2023 Annual Town Elections.
Permit me to offer a bullet point review of my qualifications that I feel will be of benefit to the citizens of Abington. I have served in the following positions
* Abington Selectman (chairman)
*Abington Town Moderator
* Abington Park and Recreation Commissioner
*Abington Sewer Commissioner
*Abington By-Law Revision Committee
*Abington Fire Station/DPW Building Committee
*Plymouth County Commissioner (chairman)
*Rockland Town Administrator
*Kingston Town Administrator
*Chairman of the Mayflower Municipal Health Group and Chairman of the Steering Committee
*Chief Executive Officer of South Shore Tri-Town Development Corporation names changed (Union Point)
*Abington Representative to the Southfield Redevelopment Board of Directors (Union Point)
After retirement I was asked to fill in and assist by the respective communities boards of selectmen as
*Interim Kingston Town Administrator on two separate occasions
*Interim Hanson Town Administrator
I believe that I will bring this abundance of experience to Abington Town Government as an example;
* as Rockland Town administrator I was able to utilize federal and state grants for highway intersection improvements, a new police station, and a new highway barn,
*as Kingston Town Administrator I worked on the approval and construction of a new Town Hall, DPW Facility and Animal Control Facility
* at Union Point (former Naval Air Station) I negotiated at the Pentagon for the sale of the remaining land under the control of the US Navy as well as securing funding from the Patrick Administration to build a East West Parkway across the Base to allow for its viable development. Additionally I negotiated a first in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Land Assessment Bond to finance the construction of infrastructure. While on the Board of Directors I was the author of pushing to have this bond restructured resulting in a savings of $ 4.2 million that was realized up front and placed in escrow for future infrastructure development.
*as Chairman of the Mayflower Municipal Health group I was instrumental in the creation of the group which is a consortium of now 31 governmental units with over 12,500 subscribers that provides health and dental insurance.
This is just a small example of my experience and how I can bring that experience to better assist the Town as we move forward and I am sure we will be addressing further questions on matters affecting the Town of Abington in the weeks ahead.
ALEX BEZANSON
The experience and qualifications that make me a good candidate for the board of selectmen are as follows:
I have approximately 30 years of volunteer service to the town of Abington including serving on the Conservation Commission, Open Space Committee, Water Commissioner and 6 years on the Board of selectmen.
I currently serve as Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and Chairman of the Opioid Funds Settlement Committee,
I am a member of the ARPA Funds Distribution Committee, Selectman liaison to both the Open Space Committee and the Planning Board
I am co-founder of the non profit HUG Foundation and the founder of The Abington Substance Awareness Coalition -Now known as Abington COPES (I no longer sit on the BOD of this non profit)
Residents are encouraged to reach out to me with question and concerns
Alexbezanson@yahoo.com 781-953-1236
1 comment
Comments are closed.