Wayland 2021 Candidate Profile: Carol Martin, Board Of Selectmen

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland will get two new Board of Selectmen members after the May 11 election.

Carol Martin and Adam Gutbezhal were the only two residents to sign up to run for two open seats on the board. Members Lea Anderson and Mary Antes are not seeking reelection in 2021.

We sent both Martin and Gutbezahl a candidate questionnaire to help voters get to know the two incoming Board of Selectmen members. Here's how Martin answered.

Carol Martin

Age (as of Election Day): 62
Family: Husband, George
Education: BA: Bridgewater University, cum laude; MBA: Babson College, with honors
Occupation: Retired Sales and Marketing Executive.
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: 2012-2021, Finance Committee; 2011 Council of Aging; 2010, Senior Property Tax Relief Committee. During tenure on FinCom served two years as Vice Chair and 2 and 1/2 years as Chair. Current term expires in June.
Campaign website: SelectCarol.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I believe Wayland with its small town charm, multiple trails and ponds and close proximity to literally everything is a wonderful place to live. Eleven years, I decided to give back and have been a Town volunteer ever since, spending the last nine years on the Finance Committee. This has afforded me the opportunity to learn what works and what we can do better. My goal is to apply that knowledge to help make Wayland an even better place to live.

The single most pressing issue facing our town is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Long term Planning: Unlike many of our triple AAA rated peers, Wayland lacks full scale implementation of a long range plan. Over the past two years, the Town has worked on implementing a Resource Based 5- year Capital Plan that looks not only at funding but available resources to complete appropriated projects in a timely manner. A capital spend plan has been established and at this year's Annual Town Meeting, it is anticipated a Capital Stabilization Fund will be established to support capital funding.

Going forward, the Capital plan needs to be augmented to include large capital projects that are on the 10, 15 or 20 year horizon to avoid unexpected expenditures and every capital budget recommendation needs to prioritize maintenance of the Town's assets. In addition, the Town needs to adopt a 5-year Operating Budget Plan with a goal of leveling tax increases.

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

Every candidate brings unique skills to the Committee on which they serve. My uniqueness is as a 38-year resident, I have directly interacted with many of my fellow residents and had the opportunity to learn what's on their minds. In addition, as a FinCom member not only have I developed a keen awareness of the Town's budget, but I have served as a liaison to nearly every board and committee and have written over 50 Town Meeting articles providing me a broad understanding of the Town's operations.

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

As a FinCom member, I have seen first hand, that every town Board not just the Board of Selectmen establishes goals and as volunteers works diligently to accomplish them. The current Board of Selectmen have had the added challenges of dealing with Covid-19 and ensuring the safety of our residents, employees and staff while still providing necessary services.

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

I think our local officials served the Town well in handling Covid-19. In fact, efforts were made to reduce costs as soon as Covid-19 surfaced and this has resulted in Wayland, unlike many other communities of not having to deficit spend for either FY20 or FY21.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

As a member of the Board of Selectmen, I will support prudent decisions that preserve the quality of our educational system and recreational facilities. I will endorse being prepared for the unexpected, continue to support respect for our neighbors and insist inclusion be part of the selection process when filling committee vacancies.

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

As Chair of the Finance Committee, I led the transition to pay-as-you-go capital. That is, using free cash to pay for one time purchases rather than funding ongoing expenses.

As a new member of the committee, I spearheaded a program to track expenditures on capital projects, returning unused funds to the Town’s coffers, generating more than $1M in the first two years. Those funds were re-appropriated to future projects reducing the need for further taxes.
I revised budget presentations that reduced time spent on the annual budget discussion at Town Meeting from as long as 7 to less than 2 hours.

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

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve.