Candidate Profile: Christopher Haley, Reading Select Board

READING, MA — Christopher Haley is one of two candidates running for Select Board April 6. There are contested races for Select Board, School Committee, Municipal Light Board and Board of Library Trustees in the 2021 Town Election.

Reading Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Haley is a small business owner and parent of two daughters in the Reading school system. His wife is a member of the PTO at Birch Meadow Elementary School.

Haley faces incumbent member Vanessa Alvarado for a three-year seat on the Select Board.

Are you running for office in Reading? Contact Alex Newman at alex.newman@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Reading Patch.

Christopher Haley

Age (as of Election Day)

41

Position Sought

Select Board

Party Affiliation

Independent

Family

Amanda and I have been married for 3 years. We have two awesome girls who keep us very busy. Autumn is 8 and goes to Birch Meadow Elementary School and Savannah is 2 and goes to NGCC.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My Uncle is on the Select Board in Aquinnah, MA.

Education

I went to the Boston University Corporate Education Center and got certified in Microsoft Windows Administration.

Occupation

8 Years as a small business owner of an IT & Security Company.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

www.HaleyForReading.com and www.facebook.com/HaleyForReadi...

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for the Select Board because of my passion for what Reading was and what it can be. The passion for Reading runs through our family as my wife is a member of the PTO board at Birch Meadow Elementary School. Unfortunately, within the last few years, we have both seen the political climate in Reading shift greatly. This shift has negatively impacted the perception of Reading across the state and nationally with the micro-managing and political discourse on display for all to see. I plan on bringing an authentic appreciation for where our small town has been and a clear lens for our future here.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing the board, other than bouncing back from the aftermath of COVID-19 in a safe and effective way by getting our schools, businesses and senior centers back open safely, is unfortunately the board themselves. I promised myself at the start of this campaign to keep things positive. I hate turning on the news and seeing everything being negative all the time. It was not like this when I was younger. I would not be answering this question honestly if I said anything else. From the 10 minutes of grandstanding at the end of recent Select Board meetings over clear Human Resources issues, letting emotions get in the way at the former Daniel’s House meeting that has cost the town tens of thousands in legal expenses and potential settlements, to having the Attorney General’s Office rule they violated Open Meeting Laws last year, it is clear they are not working in the best interest of most Reading residents. I intend to add a fresh face to the board with a commonsense approach. If it makes sense for Reading, it makes sense.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I am for what is in the best interest for Reading and its residents. I do not have any outside political aspirations or agenda. I plan on bringing an authentic appreciation for where our small town has been and a clear lens for our future here. I know I will be able to take emotion out of decisions and do what is best for our town with maximum community consensus.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

Communication and Transparency. As you can tell, I do not like giving one sentence answers but in speaking with hundreds of businesses/residents over the past month, this is overwhelmingly the case with the current board.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I feel that overall, everything was done as best as one could during this unprecedented time. Our Town Manager had vaccination plans all set going forward but then the State had other plans. In terms of the Select Board, what sticks out the most to me was what I saw last summer. I was driving down Main Street with my wife and turned to her and said “How did that restaurant get a tent put out front covering the entire parking lot. That’s great for them but it kind of hoses all the other businesses there. There’s never any parking available over there to begin with”. It turns out the Select Board voted to allow them to have a license without doing their due diligence and only notifying business a couple hours before the vote. The license ran from mid-June to November 1st but a month and a half into it, the Select Board rescinded their license, and the tent came down just as fast as it went up. It was not the owner’s fault for asking, you never know unless you try, especially during these times. The Select Board can claim they were given incomplete information, but I knew in 3 seconds driving by that it was a bad decision for all the other businesses there.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Parking, Small Businesses and Public Safety. I have briefly gone over the first two already. With respect to Public Safety, those in essential service roles are near and dear to my heart as my wife has worked at Boston Children’s Hospital for the last 16 years. I want to reestablish the confidence that Reading residents should have in their Public Safety officials. Chief Clark and his department have been key contributors to the fact that Reading has been recognized as the 19th safest community in the United States by Neighborhood Scout once again. The community policing, the School Resource Officer and Reading Coalition for Prevention and Support are prime examples of a proactive and positive police presence in a community. Additionally, my own personal experience with the fire department has been lifesaving; my wife and youngest daughter had a scary experience which they quickly helped address. As such, my support for Chief Burns and his group of firefighters is unwavering. In my role on the Select Board, I will vocally support their roles in our community.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am a numbers guy. Some people look at 60% one way 40% the other and think it is a landslide in one direction. I look at them and see our community is torn on which direction to go. I took the plunge at securing my family’s future and started an IT & Security Company with my business partner 8 years ago. We both had one year old children at the time, but we had the drive and ambition to make it successful. We started with a small goal; making enough money to pay our mortgages every month. Despite initial challenges, including financing the business on a shoestring budget, we have grown into a highly profitable small business supporting nine employees across three states: MA, CT, and RI. I feel my expertise in owning, managing, and running the day-to-day operations with my business will give me the insight on what our town needs to draw small businesses back to Reading and fill the empty storefronts that COVID-19 has left behind.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am not a politician. I am a father of two amazing girls, and I have a loving wife. I am a local small business owner. I live in Reading, I work in Reading, I eat lunch in Reading, and I sleep in Reading. I am for what is in the best interest of our small town and would love to understand your concerns and earn your support. I am asking for your vote on April 6th. Together, we will move Reading forward!