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Selectman Firenze to Step Down ... If

Will leave Board of Selectmen if there is a candidate he can back.

 

Angelo Firenze told Belmont Patch today he will not seek re-election to the Belmont Board of Selectmen if a candidate "who I could support" announces a run for the board.

Answering rumors that he would not run to retain the seat he's held since November 2004, Firenze said that he will decide "after Christmas" whether to seek re-election but "if someone who holds the same views I have decides to run, I will back that person."

Firenze said that candidate would need to be "fiscally conservative" who "views the town from the entire spectrum, not from a town side or a school side."

Known for bringing a strong business mindset to the Board, Firenze has long battled segments in town over operating both the town and schools with existing revenue sources. He has also supports regionalization and selling underused properties.

Firenze said he will not actively seek out a successor but take a wait-and-see approach.

"People know how to get in contact with me," said Firenze.

Related Topics: Angelo Firenze, Belmont, Belmont Board of Selectmen, and town elections

Belmont_Conservative

3:55 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Oh man.....Please don't leave, sir. You are one of the few breaths of fresh air around these parts! Your business acumen is sorely needed in a room otherwise filled with idealists.

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Lee Adams

8:38 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011

I've gotten to know Selectman Angelo Firenze and have nothing but praise for him as a person, his honesty, his integrity, his passion for doing the right thing and his deep love for the community as a whole. He’s often been the lone voice on the Board addressing the efficiencies that plague our town and challenging the free spenders who are willing to bring the town into a spiral death of debt for their selfish agendas. Selectman Firenze has always brought a breath of fresh air to meetings with how the town should address it financial issues in new and exciting ways and expressed his deep concerns about bad decision. I can image the frustration he’s felt through the many years of dedicated service he’s provided. Yet, he always came back, joined the Board and fought the battles that need to be fought. Belmont would suffer a great loss if he chose to step down.

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JumpTheShark

11:05 am on Thursday, October 6, 2011

Are you kidding me? The guy who promised the police department and others support if he was elected, and then turned his back on them more or less completely? And how are our roads and infrastructure these days? Where is all the money going that we pay in property taxes, which are astronomical? It's time to ask real questions and get real answers, not fluff up our politicians' egos. Intelligent people want to know.

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David Chase

7:21 pm on Thursday, October 6, 2011

If you want answers to many town budget questions, there's a lot of information here: http://www.belmontbudget.org/05a_DownloadBudgetData.html

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