BRATTLEBORO-Lawmakers are responsible for making the rules to protect us all and provide the best conditions for "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
David Gartenstein's experience as a prosecutor of people whose experiences in society have led them to abuse those rules has grounded him in the importance of maintaining solid structures and systems for organizing society.
Being so intimately familiar with the pain and damage that results when those structures break down has given him a deep understanding of the importance of finding effective solutions. His compassionate nature has made him a tireless advocate for reforms in the system.
I had the good fortune of being elected to Brattleboro Selectboard at the same time David Gartenstein became chair. He created a safe environment for the staff, board, and public while effectively moving us through our business.
When the sitting town manager left on short notice, David led us through a multi-year, multi-candidate process for finding the right town manager that resulted in hiring Peter Elwell. During this time, communications between the town staff and board greatly improved and paved the way for the solid policies and stability of the next several years.
David shepherded the town through an unprecedentedly transparent process to finally resolve the challenges of aging police and fire facilities - a deeply complex and divisive process that has clearly resulted in solid public services for our community.
His openness and commitment to create space for all voices also helped the board achieve the flexibility that led to the only budget in decades that did not require an increase in the property tax.
I spend a lot of time attending legislative sessions and communicating with our reps in Montpelier, and I am absolutely certain that David's combination of honesty, openness, energy, intelligence, strength, and experience is exactly what is needed at this moment.
A person with his experience as a policy maker in combination with his intimate understanding of what happens when policies fail society will have an immediate impact on an often-hesitant bureaucracy.
David Schoales
Brattleboro
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