By Adam Hogue
(Editor’s note: Hogue is running against Jim Hutchinson for the Select Board seat being vacated by James Craig. He sent the following to LincolnTalk in answer to a question about what local issues he believes are important and how his experience and qualifications would contribute to addressing those challenges. His answer is reprinted here with his permission.)
One of the most important issues (not only in Lincoln but the Commonwealth overall) is housing. I love our community and I know others that want to live here, but are either priced out or simply unable to find a home given the supply. We need more housing options in Lincoln so that people can afford to live in our great community. In addition, I also want to make sure that people are not forced to sell their homes due to inability to pay taxes, so that people are able to age in place if they so desire.
The next issue that I see as critical is sustainability and green energy. As we have seen with gas prices and heating costs (even prior to the current situation), we need to work with our leaders on Beacon Hill and as a region to fulfill our energy needs in a smart way that doesn’t economically burden our residents.
Finally, another important issue, and one of my main goals, is to work with the Finance Committee to build a reasonable budget that serves our needs while also making sure we do not put too much of a burden on the taxpayers of Lincoln.
In terms of my experiences and qualifications, I have been involved in state and regional politics for years though my charity work for veterans, as well as lobbying to teach financial education to children in schools. If elected, I will use the relationships that I have built to work together with elected officials in our neighboring towns and the state level to make sure we solve issues together.
Specific to Lincoln, I have volunteered to run many veterans’ events in town and the Fourth of July run. These experiences have given me a great appreciation of the importance of these community events. I want to work to create more community events in town and to make sure that we bring back the Fourth of July fireworks to our community once the school project is done. So many in our community miss this great event.
I have also served the town as a current School Committee member. I have helped form budget and policy in this role and have worked with numerous people in town for the last four years. This has helped me understand how the town works, as well as what goes into the budget process, and has also helped me to understand the community. While the work has been challenging at times, it has always given me great pride to serve our children and our community. During my time on the School Committee, we have kept the budget within the Finance Committee’s guidance and have not had to ask for an override.
Finally, I love serving my community. I picked this up from my 17 years in the United States Military where I was awarded a Bronze Star for my action in Afghanistan. I also currently serve on the Capital Planning Committee as part of my role on the School Committee, and as I’m sure others on that committee may say, I am not afraid to speak up and suggest new ideas. I don’t passively accept the answer “because that is how we have always done it” because we have to be creative and have debates to solve issues. I like to learn and work with people and I believe that debating the issues to come up with the best solution(s) is an integral part of this work.
Thank you once again and I would appreciate your support on March 28!
“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.