I am writing to support Liz O’Donnell for Town Moderator and to share why.

 

It is not because Liz has been my best friend since we met in 7th grade at the then Dedham Junior High School. I am supporting Liz’s candidacy because the one time I tried to play the “friend card” and sway Liz’s opinion on an article Town Meeting was voting on, I could not.

 

I have been a member of Town Meeting for 15 years. A few years ago, I was enthusiastically in favor of a project that Town Meeting was considering. Liz, as a member of the Finance and Warrant Committee, was voting on whether or not to recommend the project to Town Meeting. 
 

She was firm in her belief that the project was not a good financial decision for Dedham in the long term.

 

I spent weeks trying to change her mind. Others she respected did the same. But Liz did not vote in support of the project—not because she is stubborn, but because she believed the project was wrong and understood that her role on the Finance and Warrant Committee was to represent the interests of the entire town, not just her friends.

The article ultimately passed at Town Meeting, and over time I have come to see that Liz’s concerns had merit. But what struck me about that vote wasn’t that Liz may have been right—it was the integrity she showed in standing by her judgment.

 

That impartiality and respect for the process are exactly what we need in a Town Moderator, and that is why I am proud not only to call her a friend, but also to support her candidacy.

Monica Linari

Precinct 5 Town Meeting Member