Name: Patrick Reynolds
Party Running As: Democrat
Experience which you believe would be an asset if elected:
Serving for five years on the Board of Selectmen, including as chairman, gave me hands-on experience in getting results for the people of North Attleborough. As a selectman, I increased funding for our schools and vital services, advocated for government reforms that increased transparency and efficiency, and helped redevelop the old Balfour factory downtown into new housing and commercial space. I will fight for these same priorities on Beacon Hill and will use my experience in municipal government to do the job on day one.
What would be your priorities in the short term and long term if elected?
My number one priority right now is helping our community recover from the Coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus has changed every part of our lives and these next few months aren’t going to be easy. That’s why we need a State Representative who is ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work for this district on day one. I will work with state and federal officials to make sure North Attleborough gets its fair share of Coronavirus relief funding and oppose any potential cuts to local aid for our local schools. I will advocate for our local small business to make sure they aren’t left out of the state’s Coronavirus relief plan. I will also advocate for more transparency in the state legislature by making committee votes public and stand up for working families by closing wage theft loopholes to ensure everyone is paid a fair wage for a day’s work.
Growing local business has been a key issue as of late. How would you improve this aspect of the towns you’d represent?
Our local economy has made huge strides in the last few years. When I served as a selectman we prioritized economic development, created a small business tax credit, hired the first-ever economic development director, and oversaw $150 million in new growth. Unfortunately due to this pandemic, our local small businesses face an uncertain future. Our small business owners and workers have done the right thing throughout this crisis and have reopened safely. Now we need to support them during this difficult time. Just like I did as a selectman, I will advocate for our local small businesses on Beacon Hill to ensure they aren’t left out of the Coronavirus relief effort in favor of big corporations.
With the Coronavirus pandemic causing local aid to decrease by 10-30 percent, what other ways can communities offset this loss, and how can you help?
We’re lucky here in North Attleborough that we haven’t seen the same types of cuts in services that neighboring communities have, in large part due to the well-funded rainy fund and fiscal responsibility that we implemented here in town. But local aid for our communities is under attack on Beacon Hill. The state is going to have to make tough decisions to fill the hole in its budget this next fiscal year, but any cuts to local aid which will negatively impact the services our local communities provide is absolutely unacceptable. I will fight against any cuts to local aid and work to make sure the Student Opportunity Act is fully funded, which will ensure our local schools receive their fair share of funding from the state.
Given that you’re new to state politics, how would you make your case heard so that you can achieve results?
During my time in local government I learned the importance of building partnerships and putting people above politics. On Beacon Hill, I will work with anyone, Republican or Democrat, to get results for our district. This current crisis has shown us that the politics of old, of hyper-partisanship, is broken and we will only get out of this crisis if we put our differences aside and work together to move Massachusetts forward.
