Dear Editor,
My name is Danny Taylor and I’m writing to share why I’m running for Selectboard and Road Commissioner in Athens.
First, I’d like to share a little about myself. I’m a lifelong resident of Athens and my family has lived here for generations. My roots here run deep: I live on a road with five generations of my extended family and both my father and grandfather worked for the town road crew. I raised my family here, and now my son and his family live next door. One of the primary reasons I want to run is to ensure that our town implements sustainable policies and makes decisions with the future generations in mind. I want this to be a town where my grandsons may want to live in 20 years.
In Athens, the role of the Road Commissioner is to advise the Selectboard on road matters when asked. I’m more than qualified to do this. I’ve spent my entire career working for small Vermont towns. I began by working part-time for the Athens road crew, then worked for the town of Westminster for six years, and have now worked for the town of Grafton for almost 17 years, where I now lead the entire highway department as foreman. I have extensive experience in road maintenance and take a lot of pride in ensuring that the roads are safe. This goes beyond just plowing and sanding during storms. I take as many classes as I can to ensure that I know about the newest equipment and safety advancements. I also do all of the maintenance on the equipment and work to obtain as many grants as possible to ensure that the burden on taxpayers is as low as it can be.
My near 30 years’ experience working for towns will make me an asset to the Selectboard. I am extremely knowledgeable of state and federal regulations and policies. I build the highway budget, manage town employees, and most importantly, I work with the towns people to get things done. I want towns people to feel that they can come to the Selectboard with concerns about things in town affecting them, that they’ll be listened to, taken seriously, and helped. That’s exactly what I do every day in Grafton: I listen to towns people and get things done.
For these reasons, I’d appreciate your vote March 2. If anyone has any questions, please contact me at dtaylor@vermontel.net.
Thank you,
Danny Taylor
Athens, Vt.