Stoneham Board of Selectmen Chairperson Seeks Re-Election

[Editor's note: The information below was submitted by Stoneham resident Paul Rotondi.]

Stoneham Board of Selectmen Chairperson R. Paul Rotondi announces his candidacy for re-election in the April 3 town election. Paul’s campaign will focus on his qualifications, experience, leadership, accomplishments and vision for the future of Stoneham. 

After graduating from Stoneham high school, Paul received a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Norwich University in 1965. After serving for two years as an officer in the Army, he returned to Stoneham and obtained a Master of Business degree from Suffolk University. Paul worked at Raytheon Company for 38 years in various management positions where his organizational, financial, leadership and problem solving skills were developed. He retired from Raytheon in 2007 and now spends his time with his wife of 46 years, Betsy, his children (Rick, Maria and Emily), his grandchildren and serving Stoneham as a full time selectman. 

Paul has served the town of Stoneham for over 30 years including 19 years on the School Committee and six years on the Board of Selectmen. He also served on the Finance Board, Board of Appeal and the former Personnel Board. This broad based experience has provided him with a keen insight on how the town operates and its history. It has given Paul the knowledge and tools to deal with the challenges facing the town in these difficult times. Paul knows what has worked and what has not worked.  

He served four times as chairman of the School Committee and two times as chairman of the Board of Selectmen. Paul has provided the leadership to address Stoneham’s problems and to develop consensus on the solutions.    

During his tenure as selectman, Paul has been an outspoken advocate for Stoneham with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), the state legislature, the MBTA and other state agencies. He addressed the town’s financial situation and authored the Budget Agreement which was approved by the Selectmen, Finance Board and School Committee. This agreement provides for a predetermined allocation of revenues, and insures that all budgets will be based on the available revenues. The agreement also puts a priority on building up our reserves (Stabilization Account) in order to protect our bond rating.

Paul has met with several developers and property owners to see what the town can do to help and insure that any development will be in the best interests of Stoneham. He knows that effective government requires citizen input and communication. Paul has communicated the important issues of the day and requested community input through letters to the editor in local newspapers, the establishment of his website and direct emails to those citizens who chose to be on his e-mail list. 

There are presently four developments in various stages in Stoneham: the BMRC, Fallon Farm, Nazareth Academy and Stoneham square. Upon completion, these developments will increase demands for service and bring in additional tax revenue. Paul’s vision for Stoneham is improving our decaying infrastructure, improving our services and improving our tax base while maintaining our small town character.

In announcing his candidacy for re-election, Paul said “as a life long resident and fulltime Selectman, I am concerned about the direction Stoneham will take at this critical point.  The last few years have been difficult as revenues have fallen. We have met the challenge, resized the government, with little impact on services, maintained our bond rating, and developed a Budget Agreement that guarantees a balanced budget. As revenues begin to increase, I have the experience, leadership and commitment to develop a plan that will insure a managed growth for all of the citizens of Stoneham."