Jim Letterie Announces Candidacy for Council President

Special to the Transcript

James Letterie is seeking the office of Town Council President. The following is his statement:

“I would like to formally announce my candidacy for Council President for the Town of Winthrop.   Please trust in me to utilize my 16 years of experience on the Council, to take action, and lead Winthrop forward out of stagnation. My experiences on the Council including Chairman of the Finance Committee, Co-Chair of Miller Field Committee, member of School Building Committee, Chairman of the Finance Commission, 4- time former Vice President, as well as a member of the Charter Commission have instilled in me the ability to be a productive leader.  The Council President role is twofold, one part being the head of the Council, and CEO of the town, while just as important to me, is a seat on the School Committee.  I believe my skill set along with over 16 years of experience on the finance committee and commission allows me to be ready to take an active role. and make positive impacts for our children’s futures.

The fact that we had the ability to begin a search for a new Town Manager for the past 3 months and have yet to begin a search is inexcusable.  This search needs to begin with the Council President creating a search committee and beginning the process.  A process which historically takes 6-8 months to complete.  A process, that until it is complete we are unable to hire a Chief Financial Officer, a Treasurer, or a Fire Chief, all of which are interims now. 

As Council President I will make decisions based on what is best for all residents.  It won’t always be the easy or the popular decision, but it will always be a financially prudent decision.  It will be a decision made in a timely manner, and it will be a decision based on extensive research.  

We have many issues that have been discussed, studied, and discussed again without any movement.  The big three examples would be, a Public Safety Building, the Gorman Fort Banks access road, and the Middle School.  I will come to resolution on all of these.  It is easy to talk about what we are going to do, but it doesn’t mean anything until we take action and make it happen, or come to a resolution that it will not.   The Council President is, by definition the CEO of the town.  If one looks up the definition of CEO it states that person is “ultimately responsible for making managerial decisions.”  I will do the job that should have been done.

I am supported in my candidacy by my wife Dawn, a Winthrop School Teacher for over 35 years, I am a parent of two amazing young adults, Jake (23) and Jenna (21), a homeowner, and a small business owner in Winthrop. I have a good understanding of our resident’s frustrations and struggles. I am uniquely qualified to be your Town Council President – I have the energy, experience, and willingness to not only hear, but listen to all sides of every issue and then take decisive action forward. I want to work with my fellow Councilors, our incredible town employees and most importantly our residents – young and old, new residents and townies – we can do it together

Experience, in and of itself, just means someone has done something for a long period of time, but proven leadership, knowledge, financial skills, ability to listen, AND experience, I believe, makes me the right choice for Winthrop.  We need someone who can make responsible decisions that will move Winthrop forward, while preserving the character, values, and culture of our town. Together we can work to make positive impacts in insure a better future for us all.  I humbly ask for your vote on November 2, 2021.”