Lucas is a Supervisor residents can reach

Dear Editor,

There are many ways to measure the effectiveness of a local elected official. Budgets, projects and accomplishments certainly matter. But as a North Salem resident, I think there is another measure that is just as important: when you need your Town Supervisor, can you reach him?

With Warren Lucas, my experience has been that you can.

When there is a problem in North Salem, Warren doesn’t govern from a distance. Residents call him. They email him. They stop him when they see him around town. And more often than not, Warren is there, listening and trying to help. Even when he is on vacation.

That kind of accessibility matters in a small town.

Whether the concern involves a road, a storm, traffic, a town service or simply a resident who doesn’t know where to turn with a problem, Warren understands that being Supervisor means being available to the people he represents.

He may not always be able to give you the answer you want. Some problems involve the county or state, some take time to resolve, and some simply aren’t within the town’s authority. But there is a big difference between being told “no” after someone has actually listened and tried to help, and feeling as though nobody in government is listening at all.

Warren listens.

After so many years as Supervisor, it would be easy for someone to become removed from the everyday concerns of residents. I believe the opposite has been true with Warren. He knows this town, he knows its roads and neighborhoods, and he knows many of the people who call North Salem home.

Local government should be local. Our elected officials shouldn’t feel inaccessible or distant from the people they serve.

There is something reassuring about knowing that when a problem arises, the person leading your town is someone you can actually call.

When you call Warren Lucas, he is there.

That’s the kind of local leadership I value, and one of the reasons I am supporting Warren Lucas for Supervisor.

-Donna Autieri, North Salem