My name is Lee Weldy and I have been your selectman for the past three years. I am asking for your support and vote on March 12th. With your help and continued support I can continue to represent you, the people of Raymond.
I currently manage and oversee a trucking company’s fleet. My duties include purchasing, sales, negotiating contracts, inventory control, budgeting, and overseeing administrative duties, all items that I have used my knowledge of while serving our town. .
During my three years of serving as your Selectman, I have tried to maintain fiscal responsibility to avoid huge tax spikes, working with staff, even in these tough economic times, to promote Raymond for economic growth. I know the taxpayers can only afford so much and with responsible development we can relieve that burden by bringing business to our town to increase our limited revenues.
We were able to negotiate the sale of a vacant town owned parcel of land in the down town area to the Regional Economic Development Center. Part of the appeal is that they will be offering a business training center that will include a reference library, computer center, classrooms, and short-term office space. Having a valuable asset like this located in our town can only help us.
We also marketed and sold other properties in an attempt to get them back on the tax roles to generate revenue. We continue working with a developer who plans to develop Exit 4 to bring a much needed sewer system to our community, a system that will serve the needs of the town with the potential to expand with future growth.
We have other projects which if completed will benefit our community and again provide a revenue stream with minimal impact to our community. With your support, I plan to continue to seek growth opportunities.
I have also been involved with the writing and acceptance of the easements on Raymond’s Lillian Cassier Memorial forest which includes the rights of Raymond to install wells to withdraw public water from the property should the town need the additional wells in the future. While some people are in a rush to put other town owned properties into conservation, I wish to proceed cautiously. We agreed to use it once we formulated and got approved our Expandable pooled mitigation plan which will allow us to use the land for mitigating wet lands and receiving compensation prior to placing easements on them again, thus generating revenue or value to the town
The Motollo water line project was started and completed within my first term bringing water to an area that was adversely affected by contaminated water. We had a lot of help from many people to get this project done with out any Taxpayer’s impact and I am happy that it also has the ability to possibly help promote future commercial development.
Being a Selectman encompasses time and dedication and I have served you with both conviction and compassion. We have planned and participated in so many town events such as the Memorial Day parade, the 4th of July parade, September 11th memorial, our Halloween Party, Veteran’s Day, and Wreaths Across America. We participate in all elections and attend many other events such as fundraisers, Eagle Scout Courts of Honor, wakes and funerals and numerous other events. We also serve on many other boards as Selectman’s Representative to ensure widespread communications across our entire town.
I hope to represent you for another three years so we can continue this journey as we chart through some difficult economic times. We have been a frugal town and need to continue this approach to protect our most vulnerable residents. I respectfully ask for your vote on March 12th.
Lee Weldy
Raymond
