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06/06/2023 02:03 PMFirst Selectwoman Peggy Lyons has announced her intentions to seek reelection as the town’s top officeholder for a third term.
Lyons said her decision to run again is based on her record and her desire to complete several projects initiated in her previous terms.
“I‘m really excited and motivated to keep these important projects moving forward. I still feel there’s a lot of work to be done in town government, and I want to make sure these projects that the town has endorsed are completed in a positive way and make sure they get across the finish line,” said Lyons.
Lyons said those projects include school renovations, the construction of a new school, and the community center project.
“Last year, there was a referendum to move forward on the town school renewal plan, and so we’re just in the early stages of that and then also the Academy community center revitalization plan. There is a lot of decision-making to happen along the way, and I want to shepherd these to completion,” said Lyons. “I think the charter revision is another thing that had needed to be done. The last charter brought to the public had been voted down at the polls…so I was excited to see the new charter come forward and receive such strong support.”
According to Lyons, infrastructure projects, including a seawall at Garvan Beach and road projects, also need attention and will be one of her goals should she win reelection.
“We’ve made a lot of progress on some infrastructure projects in town, and I want to continue to push these forward,” said Lyons. “We have to keep investing in our infrastructure. Unfortunately, the town for many decades procrastinated in some respects, so it’s important to start making these investments now.”
Lyons said her ability to push through the stalemate on the Academy project is evidence of her ability to bring differing viewpoints together to collaborate successfully.
“I think that we were able to get some issues approved by voters that had been stuck in the mud for years. Academy had been stuck for 20years,” Lyons said. “The town was completely indecisive and didn’t know which direction to take it, and I think the fact that we were able to get a good proposal to the voters and their endorsement to move it forward is a huge accomplishment. I feel like we’ve kind of broken a log jam, so to speak.”
Lyons points to her guidance during the difficult period of the pandemic as a major accomplishment of her terms.
“COVID was a huge challenge that required government’s focus to change dramatically,” said Lyons. “We had to implement these rigid guidelines and restrictions that were coming down from the state, obviously, in the interest of public health. That was incredibly challenging. Coming out of that, you learn to make decisions quickly, and you also learn how to balance a lot of differing views about what should be done in a crisis. That strengthened my ability to lead in my second term to start moving projects forward concerning public policy goals and public investment goals. Ultimately, I think it helped build public trust in government.”
The candidate that wins the election in November will be the first in Madison to serve a four-year term, something Lyons and the Board of Selectmen helped usher into a successful passage.
“I think it definitely makes the Board of Selectmen think long-term. One of the things I ran on was development of strategic planning,” Lyons said. “That’s another item that we’re in the process that we are in the process of completing; it’s a 10-year vision for the community. I think the less turnover you have in terms of who is leading the town will help town government fulfill those objectives that the community lays out. It helps remove some of the politics out of it and focuses on the policy and what the people want,” said Lyons. “You have to build these coalitions and try and address everybody’s questions and concerns, and it takes a long time to get those things moving. It’s very hard in two years to get anything moving forward.”
Lyons added, “I am really excited to move forward. There is a lot that could be done in Madison. There are a lot of things we still need to tackle, but I think we’re coming from a really strong place right now and we want to keep making that progress. And also preserve the quality of life here in our community. I really do love this job, and I love this community. That inspires me to continue to move forward in this position, and that is why I want to run again.”
The municipal election will be on Nov. 7.