To the editor:

I like choices.  We have been fortunate in the last few election cycles to have had contested Board of Selectman races. This year a challenger, Shana Shufelt, has thrown her hat in the ring to be considered alongside well-known incumbent Dick Spirlet.

It is not easy to put yourself out there and run for public office.  Add to this the perceived dominance of a two-term office holder and you have a set of circumstances that prevents most of us from giving such a run serious consideration. Shana is not so readily dissuaded and I am choosing to support her in this race for a number of reasons.

To start with, Shana has a strong work ethic and a willingness to put in the time necessary to be a good selectman. She has demonstrated this in her role as chair of the Finance Committee where she reviews and prepares budget materials for her colleagues, consults with department heads on emerging needs and looks for opportunities to save money.  She has insisted on a numbers and process-based approach to evaluating our finances.  Her experience here would allow her, if elected, to hit the ground running on budget matters.

Shana is a uniter, not a divider.   This is evident in the purposeful yet civil way in which she leads FinCom meetings as well as how she has conducted herself in this race. She is campaigning against no one and is instead spending her time talking about her professional and civic background and how she would approach the job and its challenges.  

Another nice thing about Shana is that she is unattached to any group or faction, a disadvantage in some people's book but not in mine.  Westport needs independent voices on the Select Board who are willing to do the homework of conversing with all sides on issues before making decisions.

For these reasons, and many more, I ask that you join me on April 12th in accepting Shana's offer to serve and in voting to elect her as our first new selectman in four years. 

R. Michael Sullivan

Westport

Mr. Sullivan is a member of the Board of Selectmen