Town Meeting Member Leombruno Candidate for Framingham Charter Commission

Janet (Foran) Leombruno files papers to run for Framingham Charter Commission.

Editor’s Note: Framingham voters will decide a ballot question on March 29, if they want to create a Charter Commission to study Framingham’s form of government. Also on that ballot, Framingham voters will be asked to elect 9 Charter Commissioners. Framingham Patch is allowing every candidate for commissioner to submit an announcement, per the Framingham Patch election policy.

Below is Leombruno’s statement.

As a long time Town Meeting member, I have come to the reality that our structure of government is holding us back.

The fact that 50 percent of Town Meeting members are missing on any given night speaks volumes, and of the 216 seats, 67 people did not return papers to run in the spring election.

I truly admire the Town Meeting form of government, it just doesn’t work in an extremely diverse, complex, and large municipality.

Last spring, I joined a group of elected officials and community volunteers and started collecting signatures for the charter to get it on the ballot. I spoke to many voters who agree Framingham is a great place to live, but felt a disconnect with Town Meeting.

I am running for the Charter Commission as I feel my experience in town government and my longtime community activism and service will be an asset to the board.

So I am asking for one of your nine votes on Tuesday, March 29.

Leombruno lives in the Nobscot neighborhood of Framingham with her husband John and their three children.

A life-long resident, she has been an active volunteer in the community serving on various boards, and is the Vice Chair of Framingham First, the group of volunteers who collected the signatures to get the charter question on the ballot.

She is a Realtor at Realty Executives in Framingham, and is a member of the Framingham Housing Authority.