December 11, 2024 By Julie Strehle
Dear Hingham Residents,
I am pleased to announce my candidacy for Hingham Select Board. This decision is driven by a commitment to service and passion for Hingham. For more than 20 years in a variety of volunteer roles in our town, I have worked collaboratively with colleagues and community members, learned about the opportunities and challenges we face together, and studied issues from multiple viewpoints. I am proud of the responsibility and support that I’ve developed in leadership positions and look forward to continuing to work with residents and businesses in the years ahead.
Recent years of service have shaped my priorities as a Select Board candidate. I served for six years on the Town’s Advisory Committee (Chair in the final year), which studies and recommends the Town budget and all other Warrant Articles for approval at Annual Town Meeting, and am currently serving in my third year as Chair of the Community Preservation Committee. I see opportunities in the following areas:
● Communication – Ready access to information is essential. Lines of communication can be improved to ensure that all residents and businesses have access to necessary information, and feel connected and heard. Ongoing work being undertaken by Town boards and committees should also be communicated to the community.
● Sustainable and Supportive Infrastructure – Hingham taxpayers have voted in support of important investment in the Town’s infrastructure over the past fifteen years. Yet more work remains, including finding a suitable home for the Center for Active Living (Senior Center), rebuilding sea walls, improving water and sewer infrastructure, and maintaining existing buildings. Climate change is a growing threat to our seaside community; we need to explore elements within our control, and seek outside sources of funding, guided by the 2023 Hingham Climate Action Plan. The 2021 Hingham Master Plan recommendations also remain relevant and important. Finally, addressing the inferior quality of cell phone service in Town should rank among our highest priorities.
● Fiscally Responsible Progress – Finding a balance between progress and spending is always going to be a challenge, and it’s one I’ve faced before as chair of the Advisory Committee in 2021-22. The budget process involves collaboration among residents, Town departments, the Select Board, School Committee and Advisory Committee, and thoughtful and inclusive conversation helps us develop a budget that supports Town employees and best serves our community’s current and future needs, without overburdening taxpayers. Pursuing economic development opportunities will help keep residential tax rates low, while preserving Hingham’s vibrant character, excellent school system, and our quality of life.
● Participation in Town Government. Active voter participation in our Annual Town Meeting, where the voters of Hingham are the legislative body, is essential. I support adoption of electronic voting at Town Meeting, which will streamline the voting process and allow all voters at the meeting to feel more comfortable making important decisions. I also recognize the benefits of encouraging volunteer service and leadership in our Town committees and boards. These dedicated volunteers provide valuable guidance and support to all Town functions and decisions. I will seek to further encourage and foster this type of service from residents of our community.
I’ve come to know so many of you through my non-profit experience with Hingham organizations that contribute to the vitality of our community, including the League of Women Voters of Hingham (President and Membership Chair), East Elementary School PTO (Co-President and Secretary), Hingham Middle School PTO (President and Secretary), Parish of St. John the Evangelist (Vestry board member and Chair of the Holiday Boutique), Town election volunteer, and the Hingham Citizens Police Academy.
I am buoyed by the engagement I’ve had with community members over the last several months in preparing to take this step. The formal process of collecting signatures for the nomination begins in January, and I look forward to continuing my conversations with you as we carry the campaign into the spring.
Hingham has been home to my husband Andy and me for the past 26 years, and our two children are both graduates of Hingham Public Schools. I graduated from Scituate High School and Colgate University (BA 1992, Political Science and Russian Studies). After working as a business systems analyst in the financial services industry, I moved on to hold many volunteer positions in our Town.
I would be deeply honored to serve on the Hingham Select Board and to continue my work on behalf of the Town and its citizens. I ask for your support on Saturday, May 3, 2025 in the Town election.
With thanks,
Julie Strehle
VoteJulieStrehle.com
julie@VoteJulieStrehle.com