Last modified: Saturday, March 22, 2008 3:44 PM EDT WILLIAMSON: North needs new leadership BY MARK WILLIAMSON / I am seeking election to the board of selectmen to offer a new perspective in town leadership. My wife Adele and I raised our four children as North residents for the past 17 years and benefited from the many services offered by our community. We face many significant challenges to the quality of our lives and the future of our community. Our budget may face a deficit of up to $1.4 million. New leadership can offer ways to contain costs and seek new revenue. A fresh look at each department budget and open discussion with departments will identify cost savings and resource-sharing initiatives to minimize impact on service quality. My role if elected will not be to micromanage each town department. I will offer a forum for cooperation. This cooperation will eliminate department leaders vying for limited resources in a feeding frenzy atmosphere. Instead we can facilitate consensus on our goals for the common good. We can encourage a spirit that brings us together as a community while meeting our imperative needs. I will facilitate discussion with our state leaders to seek additional revenue for our high priority needs. Grant revenue is available to towns and seeking our share of these funds is long overdue. Our community has a great deal to offer in our most valuable and underutilized resource - our concerned residents. I will facilitate volunteer advisory committees to research and make recommendations to achieve our priorities in economic development and cost-saving government efficiencies. This will allow previously active residents and currently active residents a forum to offer ideas and help rebuild our belief in our town leadership and solidify our sense of community. Our students offer another avenue of no cost resource - volunteerism. While countless youth already contribute in many ways to volunteerism there are countless research- and school-related projects and initiatives that I believe remain untapped. Students building their resume for college admission or looking for internship credit as enrolled college students can participate in goal-directed initiatives such as grant research, community and economic development projects to enhance existing town services. If elected, I will foster the involvement of our youth and encourage our town, school and business leaders to join in a concerted effort to develop our community leaders for tomorrow while enhancing our community resources today. I hold a master's degree in labor studies (labor relations) and I offer over 30 years of leadership experience, including three years as North's first appointed human resource director servicing the town departments and schools. My current work on the town finance committee and RTM offer you additional assurances that I am ready to be your choice for the board of selectmen. The voters have a choice on April 1. The polls at North Attleboro High School will be open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Your choice will be to vote for "business as usual" and vote for the incumbent selectman, "take a step back in time" and vote for a previous selectman or "make your mark" and vote Mark Williamson for a new perspective. My pledge is to take A.I.M. at the issues by asking questions, identifying goals, managing results. I am approachable, committed and trustworthy and I will A.C.T. on your behalf. I ask you to pledge your support by voting for me on April 1. Together we will renew the spirit that makes North Attleboro a great community.