STATEMENT FROM PATRICK GATTO

Patrick Gatto’s experience is the reason he is the best option to be our State Representative. His strategic understanding of governance is based on decades of work on the issues of importance to our District, in stark contrast to the field of other candidates. He understands that good governance is a team mission, best achieved through good relationships among various elected officials and the public.

Patrick is supportive of the public process the Town of Needham and the local pubic is undertaking for potential implementation of a quiet zone for our railroad crossings. Historically, the general will of the town has been that our finite financial resources were better spent elsewhere. Today, the issue has evolved with the frequency and volume of the train horns increasing, as has the cost of quiet zone implementation. Relatedly, our Town has a track-record of prioritizing infrastructure upgrades to align with updated safety features. The proponents and those in support of examining the feasibility are many: Selectboard, Finance Committee, Quiet Zone Working Group, Town Meeting, Board of Health, and a large and growing contingent of citizens.

Our local leaders are doing their due diligence, and we can say with confidence that the options before us are sound and thoroughly presented. Ultimately, it seems likely that our Town Meeting members, through a future funding article, will be poised to approve or reject a quiet zone at the end of that process. Patrick is committed to helping and hearing from our town boards, working groups, citizens, and all who have dedicated significant resources and energy to examine the quiet zone. We must ensure a complete accounting of our options, based on full information, to arrive at our best decision. More information towards that end is being gathered to help inform our conversation.

Patrick believes that as our Representative it is important to help the public understand and engage in dialogue around the important issues affecting our communities. Patrick has been part of these types of local processes for many years and understands the benefit of trusting local, informed decisions and the resulting accountability in good governance.