Thank you to the Somerset Democratic Town Committee, Pat Haddad and George Austin as well as SATV for organizing and hosting Candidates Night last night. Great opportunity for all candidates to answer questions and introduce themselves. Great job to everyone!
Holly’s introduction and the entire video:
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Holly McNamara and I reside at 84 3rd Street here in Somerset. It was an honor to serve you for the five years I was in office, and I am grateful for the opportunity to run for office again.
I first ran in 2016 after moving back because I have always known that Somerset would be my forever home. There was a major sense of urgency to plan for the looming closure of the power plants, our biggest taxpayers. My board quickly made massive strides to prepare; we supported new business, brought in the first full-time town planner, and completed the Master Plan that had been overdue for a decade. More businesses and investors were talking about coming to Somerset.
I aim to rebuild the momentum that the town had three years ago and emphasize the need for economic growth and stability in Somerset. Poor decisions have led to a 70% decline in economic growth over the last three years, resulting in the latest 16% major tax bill increase. This recent tax hike is higher than the tax hike that was considered our “rock bottom” in 2019 after the closure of Brayton Point Power Plant.
The momentum and progress has unraveled over the past three years. I resigned three years ago due to major ethical concerns with my current opponent and his intentions, and unfortunately those concerns became a reality as I predicted. I resigned strategically so that I could have a louder voice and work to help the town from the outside, which has been effective. Now it is time to shift gears. I am running to continue to fight for the town’s best interests.
Several years ago we had a lot in place to enable smart growth. The revenue on the horizon would have led to greater sustainability, but due to the major setbacks, we are three years behind. I promise to continue to focus on smart growth while limiting spending and ensuring that our necessary services are not cut.
I care about the entire town. Most of the town has been neglected due to special interest groups. I want to create a better town so that our seniors want to stay and can afford to stay. I want our community to thrive as a whole, not as a division of parts.
I promise to work hard and to steer the town back in the right direction. This is not about me. This is about us. This is about our town. I hope to bring Somerset to its fullest potential. We need to get Somerset back on track. Thank you.”