Election 2018: BOS Candidates Snapshot

Residents cast their ballots in last year’s annual town election. (Michelle Stark photo)

Canton’s annual town election is fast approaching, and for the third time in the last four years, the focus will be on the Board of Selectmen, where incumbents Kevin Feeney and Mark Porter will look to fend off a challenge from newcomer Kathy McCormack in the lone contested race on the ballot.

To better assist the voters and help them make an informed choice on Election Day, April 3, the Citizen has compiled a profile of each candidate along with an accompanying chart that outlines their views on several important community issues (see this week’s print edition for chart). The following information is based on interviews conducted last week with all three of the candidates, who are presented below in alphabetical order.

Kevin Feeney

After a whirlwind first three years in elected office, Kevin Feeney believes he has started to master the learning curve and is looking forward to a productive second term if he can secure the blessing of Canton’s voters.

“I’ve enjoyed my time on the board,” Feeney said. “I think I’m making a constructive difference and I think I can continue to make a constructive difference.”

A Canton native and a 1975 graduate of Canton High School, Feeney has a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, a law degree from Yale, and more than two decades of public service experience as a member of various town boards, including as past chairman of the Commission on Disability and ADA Transition Plan. He has also served in appointed posts on the Economic Development Committee, Capital Planning Committee and Building Renovations Committee and he currently serves as the clerk of the BOS.

In addition to his local government experience, Feeney has served as a legal and public policy consultant for both the federal government and for the commonwealth of Massachusetts under four different administrations. “These experiences have given me the cross-disciplinary knowledge that I need to be an effective leader, and I’m trying to leverage that experience for the benefit of the town,” he said.

During his first term as a selectman, Feeney was a visible presence at community events and forged a reputation as an effective mediator and willing listener, particularly in property use cases such as those involving TreeTop Adventures and the Ponkapoag Civic Association. Feeney said he has also strived to tear down some of the “silos” that exist in town government and is a strong advocate for collaboration and cooperation among all of the town boards.

Candidate issues chart in this week’s print edition

“That is one of the things I think I do pretty well,” he said. “I’ve tried to be a consensus builder and I think it’s so important that we continue to work collaboratively and cooperatively — because the problems facing the town are very complex and the solutions require of all the boards working together closely.”

Kathy McCormack

As the only non-incumbent in this year’s field and the only one not to have previously held an elected office, Kathy McCormack is the very definition of an “outsider” candidate. Yet not only is she comfortable with this fact; it’s part of the reason she decided to run in the first place.

“Having been involved in some issues in front of the selectmen, I know that it can be very intimidating and really hard for the average person to navigate,” she said. “I think that I’m more like the average person in Canton and would be open minded and also available for people to talk to.”

Despite being an outsider on the political scene, McCormack notes that she is very much an insider when it comes to understanding the town and the concerns of its residents. “I grew up in Canton and have lived here my entire life,” she said. “My parents both graduated from high school in Canton, and both of my children went through the Canton school system.”

Last year, McCormack made her first foray into town government as a member of the Blue Ribbon Traffic Committee, working alongside her two fellow BOS candidates, Feeney and Mark Porter. She also serves as a co-administrator of the Everything Canton Facebook group and has been one of the leading voices in the “Free the Rez” movement, which is focused on securing equitable access to Reservoir Pond for all residents.

Additionally, McCormack has been a frequent attendee at planning and zoning board meetings, and if there is one issue that defines her platform it’s concerns around development and the pace at which it’s occurring. McCormack said she would push for smarter development and prioritize the needs of residents over the desires of builders.

“I have common sense, have an open mind, and I’m willing to put people’s interests first,” she said. “I really think the town is going through a lot of changes right now with development, and while I’m not against development, I think we need to be smarter than we have been.”

Mark Porter

After taking some time to get his feet wet in his first term as a selectman, Mark Porter feels as though he has hit his stride and still has a lot to offer the community in terms of leadership and service.

“While I’m certainly not looking to make this a lifetime appointment, I think three years was not enough time to get done everything I wanted to get done, and I think I can make a lot more progress with another three years,” he said.

Currently serving as the vice chairman of the BOS, Porter gained valuable experience as the acting chair during a period when John Connolly was recuperating from surgery. He has also taken a lead role in the effort to improve the Randolph/Washington Street intersection and has weighed in on issues ranging from trash and recycling collection to the displaying of “hate has no home here” signs at the various entrances to the town.

A certified financial planner by profession and a former Finance Committee chairman, Porter believes his greatest contributions to the BOS and to the town stem from his deep understanding of town finances and the overall budget process.

“The Board of Selectmen is a team, and everybody brings a perspective and a specialty,” he said. “Mine is on the finance side, and my colleagues often look to me to provide perspective, both in terms of understanding the finances and in looking out for the best long-term financial health of the town.”

With Canton having accumulated a sizable level of reserve funds, Porter said he has worked in recent years to change the mindset from accumulating additional funds to spending some of the excess for needed capital projects. At the same time, Porter said he understands the long view and has taken concrete steps to encourage fiscal responsibility, including helping to establish a trust fund to address the town’s substantial retiree healthcare liabilities (OPEB).

Porter encourages voters to visit his campaign website, porterforselectman.com, to learn more about his background and track record as well as his views on important community issues.

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