To the Editor:
To my friends and neighbors: It will be an honor to serve as your voice in local government if you elect me to the New Scotland Town Board in the upcoming Nov. 2 election. Your vote will mean a lot to me.

Yet no matter the outcome, I’ll always look back at my campaign with fondness and gratitude. It was a privilege getting to know so many wonderful people — on your front porches and backyards, at the doorstep, or on the phone — as we talked about our love for New Scotland.

The hopes, concerns, memories, and complaints you shared with me and my fellow running mates, Erik Grissell, Peter Drao, and Lori Dollard, these past several months have given me a broader awareness of what it means to live here. It has been an amazing experience that has made me even prouder to be a part of this wonderful community.

It’s no surprise that my opponents in this race agree with me on the most fundamental issues facing our town, whether it be protecting open spaces or maintaining New Scotland’s close-knit rural character. While we agree on so much, it’s where we disagree that the conversation must continue.

It is time for new faces to join town government.

If elected, I promise to better represent the diverse perspectives that make up our beautiful “New Scottish” community tapestry. In short, I’m committed to being a more accessible representative of the people, to support any entrepreneur who needs help running a business, and to leverage my extensive grant-writing experience should more undeveloped property become available for community conservation.

Being a municipal official means working hand-in-hand with the residents whose ideas and demands require local government support and coordination. It’s why I committed myself to knocking on so many doors; to responding in a timely way to your phone calls, emails, and texts; and to personally introducing myself to the many new friends I’ve made who patiently detailed their frustrations and needs when it comes to town government.

Chief among the complaints I’ve encountered is a sense that it is hard to get the necessary approvals and support to open and operate small businesses in town. These folks aren’t looking to erect “Big Box” stores; they’re seeking to streamline the process of serving their neighbors’ commercial needs. This campaign has clarified my understanding of what New Scotland and its people require: a proactive and transparent government that is more responsive to the community.

That’s what I believe distinguishes me from the other candidates in this race. I’m not some partisan ideologue; I don’t have a specific agenda. Rather, I see my neighbors’ concerns, anxieties, and irritations both as problems to address and opportunities to serve. I enjoy rolling my sleeves up to get the job done, listening and problem-solving, and will invest the same time and energy into public service that I invested into this campaign.

I certainly have issues that are important to me, be it addressing your health and safety needs or collaborating more effectively with the village board, business community, and our farmers, or increasing access to more services and programs for our seniors, families, and young adults. Yet there’s no issue more important than bringing people together to pursue the common interest, to work diligently as a public advocate. As a mother of three children and as a registered nurse, you can trust that caring for others isn’t some idle promise — it’s my life!

As we move forward together, I believe I’m best equipped to represent different viewpoints while working collaboratively with fellow board members to find common ground. I am humbly asking for your vote on Nov. 2 because I’m the candidate committed to hearing you, to advocating for you, to answering your phone call when you’re disgruntled, to addressing your complaint when it arises, and to taking seriously your sense of what New Scotland is and how we should protect it.

If there’s one thing I learned while campaigning, it’s that community starts with conversation. I look forward to speaking with you again here, either in these pages, at the town park, or at the next board meeting.

Charissa Mayer

New Scotland