OVERVIEW

My second term as a member on the Board of Selectmen began in May, 2007. My goal as your Selectman has been, and continues to be, to provide open, honest, reasoned representation. I strive to respond promptly to the inquiries and needs of our citizens and businesses. I take responsibility for my decisions, and am always willing to share my thought process on the public decisions and votes that I make.

 Over the next two years we will transition both the Police and Fire Departments into the new public safety building, experience the influx of new residents and businesses at Chestnut Green, and weather the initial impacts of the effects of Route One development, specifically Patriot Place. Our list of capital needs continues to grow, and we will soon face Town Hall renovations and a host of school related infrastructure requests. To accomplish our goals and fairly allocate our limited resources, I want to continue the respectful relations among all the various Town department.

In 2005 I stated that we must have commercial development in commercial zones. I stand by that position and will continue to advocate that our future community needs require increasing our commercial tax base. The tax burden has shifted slightly away from our reliance on the residential tax and toward our commercial properties.  Let’s continue this trend. Now that the downtown road reconstruction project is all but completed, the Town must pay attention to making the center a vibrant commercial district. Developers need to explain to the community the true impact of their projects so that the Town can realize any mitigation relief available to it. I consistently advocate that we do more than dedicate just the allotted state funds for annual road improvements and repairs, and I am confident that growth in the commercial tax base will allow us to dedicate more funds to our roads and to the needs of our other municipal departments.

    If you have ideas, concerns, proposals or simply wish to be heard, you may contact me via email or directly at his office: 200 Chauncy St., Ste. 112, Mansfield, MA 02048, 508-339-4822.

    James D. Thrasher

    200 Chauncy St.

    Suite 112

    Mansfield, MA 02048

    508-339-4822

    info@jimthrasher.com