Rob Welsh loves Norton

04/24/2024

I have kept my campaign very low key since who needs the noise? There is not much of a race unless a bunch of folks think it’s fun to write in Bill Marr again. But I am to understand that help is sorely needed on the planning board so there I am on the ballot. Please vote for me.

I dont have a vision or plan. My platform is that I will go in and learn while helping as much as I can.

03/19/2024

I have submitted enough signatures (more than enough, thanks for the help) and will be on the ballot. There are quite a few folks also seeking to arrange a time for me to get them. I wish to thank all of you, your willingness means a lot to me even if it was not necessary…this time. What I would ask for instead is your vote.

As has been said, I dont have a platform, any great plans, nor even a base of background knowledge. (I’m a tech guy and a musician) Nor am I particularly earger to take on work. My reason for running is because the town needs the help in that area, it has been a problematic gap they have struggled with. It hurts us all if they can’t get enough people. My intention going in is to be of help as much as I can, while I educate myself.

Again, my thanks to everyone that signed, and especially to those that helped me gather signatures.

03/17/2024

I have pulled papers and am collecting signatures for a seat on the planning board. I dont have a platform or really anything I can promise at this point. My intention is to just be of help while I educate myself. I only have this week to collect signatures and will be working on that. I am happy to come meet anyone that wants to pm me their address.

04/23/2023

Below is my endorsement for Michael Toole to be re-elected to the Norton SB.

04/09/2023

Jenny having Dawn, Largo, and I over for an Easter dinner.

03/26/2023

There has not been much noise online about my Town Moderator campaign as I preferred to do that outside of social media. As we reach the deadline that decides whether I would be listed on the ballot I am going to opt not to be, and ask that those who support the position I was running on to support Paul Schleicher for that reason.

I want to start by thanking those that gathered signatures for me. Your help and support is very much appreciated. I also want to thank everyone that met with me personally to sign.

I also want to thank all on NN that voiced their desire to sign, it was simple logistics that kept us from getting to everyone and we had enough sigs without having to go into our little online community here. But still your willingness was very noted and appreciated.

I was running on a specific issue as seen in my posts. I think the moderator should simply be a service provided to the town and not a seat of power. In my first posts and on my campaign page I speak more widely to that. What I could do, and what I could not do but welcomed others to step up. That topic continues.

I find myself running against two other candidates. Both have responded to my position I was running on with how they were going to address it. One posted a vision that was a description of what the status quo is, but done very eloquently I do have to admit. The other voiced their own objection to this seat power thing and cited examples of where head scratching choices were made with explanation refused. They outlined a good plan for how they would address it that I noted was accurate and realistic about what they could and could not do. It was very up front on both, this had clearly been thought out which gave it credibility to me. Since this race is between three guys that can handle the actual moderating task about equally, it is this IMHO issue that defines the difference between candidates. So we have a three way race, two for fixing this issue and one for keeping it as is. That’s no good. So since Paul Schleicher has the same ideas as I do and will pursue the same agenda, I am withdrawing myself and am asking those that have been or would have supported me on this to vote for Paul. He wants the same things we do.

Thanks again everyone, really.

02/22/2023

I would like to announce that I have pulled papers and will be running for the open moderator's seat.

Most of you do know me from my several years administrating a local town Facebook group, and also from running for select board last fall. You are aware of my positions, opinions, etc. None of that matters because the job of a moderator is to leave that at the door and facilitate the fair discourse between others.

In my professional life I have run many meetings of all sizes and managed rooms as needed throughout my career developing the skills and experience. I am up to the task of moderating the designated meetings.

My position that I will be running on is that a moderator should simply be a moderator. I do not think the moderator seat should be a seat of power. It should have no authority beyond those meetings. If I were to win this seat I would also then hold the power to name members of FinCom. I would have the ability to name anyone I want. Be it a seasoned finance guy, or my friend’s wife, or any other person I want. Its my call. And I wouldn’t have to explain it either.

I should not have this power. No one person should. My own desire would be to arrange for the that to be handled by others (a group, not one person) and to have total separation. Due to the charter that would be difficult. But what I can do is define a better selection process. I could still arrange for it to be something handled by a group, and I can make transparency a requirement. Its totally fair have to report on that.

It is this position that will define me as separate from the others. Moderating large meetings is something I can do no problem, but so can my opponents. We are all sort of a push in that respect. But my reason for running is to bring about this change. The moderating doesn’t thrill me but I can certainly deliver that for three years in exchange for addressing what is very much an improvement Norton needs.

This point right here should define your vote. If you want to see that change come about then I am your guy that will do whatever I am able to divest myself of that individual power. If you like the current system then you absolutely want to vote against me, because if I get in I will be seeking to change it. As I said before, the skills to manage the meetings are possessed by all the candidates. And also none of our personalities or positions should matter. If they do then the job is not being done right. So really it’s this change yes/no that should determine it for you.

05/01/2022

I want to thank everyone that gave their support. My first foray into politics was quite an experience. I have never had people stand up for me before, I have always just gone through life as just me. It was very touching and heartwarming. THANK YOU!!!

04/26/2022

One more for the road. Steve and I will be doing another meet & greet AMA session. The last two were in the evening so this one will be for a morning coffee just to pick up the folks where that is better. We will be at Honeydew from 7-9am this thursday the 28th.

04/26/2022

Dear Norton community.

My name is Rob Welsh and I am running for your select board. Here is some info about me.

I have been known for some time as a noisy social media voice. It is because I recognize how lame that is just by itself that I am stepping up to serve in a stronger manner. Note that my campaign has not been just behind a keyboard or in protected situations, I am one to really speak to folks and leverage the opportunity to listen.

I have absolutely no background in town government, I have no connections within the current system or any of that stuff. But also, I don’t owe anyone anything either and that is often a good thing.

My background is all in the private sector where I worked for a Canadian based Fortune 500 company of 25K employees and was global in scope. For this company I managed teams on multiple continents that were all performing multiple projects. This has me very experienced at handling complex budget structures. My career has been based heavily on my strong analytical and negotiating skills.

I do have concerns for the town. Initially I see some budget challenges catching up that may require some hard decisions. A tough fact is that when costs go up either something has to go or more has to be paid. I don’t have the answers right here and now, I only can present the discussions that need to happen.

I would like to see Norton revisit the Charter vote, and did vote for it before. But I understand and agree with the reasoning of those that voted against it. I heard very few people saying that it was not a step Norton needed to take, I heard almost universally that they did not feel enough trust in the town government to hand them that kind of power. So that’s what we need to address.

This trust is a big issue. It’s a perception problem that is hurting the town. I think two keys to trust are transparency and accountability. They are not easy and can be rocky at times, but pay off better in the long run than just trying to control and restrict what folks know. I wish to influence the town to embrace the community in this manner so the community can embrace back. Both will find that the other is not as bad as they thought. Its understood that it will be rocky at times, but it’s for the best.

This link goes to my page where you will find this and other posts that speak to my positions. And also you will find under them the questions asked about them and my answers. If you have any questions not answered already please feel free to add them.
https://www.facebook.com/Rob-Welsh-loves-Norton-109607571668820/

It's as stated, I love the town I live in and have always tried to find ways to be of help or benefit to the community. This is just more of that.

04/23/2022

Jack Conway asked me to answer the questions from the interview. Fortunstely they were not hard ones.

The link below leads to the PDF that I typed my answers in.

I had an advantage I agree that I knew the questions a good 30 minutes before answering them so in that respect it was a little easier. But really thats it. I saw the comments on their ‘courage’ but I find that laughable. These guys are in a completely controlled environment with just freinds and family and no one that would challenge them like happens in the events they avoided. I have a decades long career of performing song and dance routines in controlled environments be it on tv, on video, in front of live audiences sometimes in the thousands, and honestly its not a big deal when you can control everything around you. So forgive me if Im not so impressed.

SB is not a controlled environment. A person that wants to do that job cant just hide behind others, they have to come out and be able to handle whatever comes. The other two canidates not at the debate were out doing it in real life, and just handling what comes. The real leaders are the guys that have the courage to actually face whatever real people come along in real life, and to be able to deal with operating that way.

04/20/2022

There will be another meet and greet tonight (4/20) from 6-8 at Jasmine Garden. This is the same occasion that Steve Hornsby has posted as an event on NN.

We feel that meeting people in person is more important than yapping on social media or just doing it from home. People should be able to look us in the eye and expect us to look back. And we feel the effort to go out in person speaks more to our resolve and commitment. (Others are welcome to disagree, this is just our own idea of how to campaign)

I will be available to answer any and all questions about the town, my positions, etc, and to a fair degree questions about me personally. We are doing this in a free open forum by design, we feel we will get tougher questions if we dont have any friendly moderators protecting us. And we actually do welcome the tougher questions (See my post on accountability) even if that sometimes forces us to just say we don’t know.

We are trying to hold these on different dates/times so that folks that want to ask questions can get a chance to do so. And of course questions can also be posed at any time to either of us on our respective campaign pages. (This one is mine and Steve can be reached at Vote Hornsby)