Candidate previously served on Planning Board, sees taxes, infrastructure and commercial development as top priorities
Eric Ryder is one of four candidates for two open seats on the Tewksbury Select Board. You can hear from Eric and the other candidates on Thursday night at the Crier & Carnation Candidates Forum.
Tewksbury Carnation: Why do you want to serve on the Select Board?
Eric Ryder: First and foremost, I love Tewksbury and the community of neighbors and friends that my family has been surrounded by for the past 23 years. My commitment to our town runs deep. Whether volunteering on a field, serving as a member of the Planning Board or Elementary Building committee, or organizing the logistics for the Memorial Day Parade (to name a few), I am doing all I can to give back. However, it’s my experience as a municipal leader that motivates me to want to serve on the Select Board. I believe that Tewksbury is at a pivotal point and needs a strong and experienced municipal manager to represent the taxpayers as we move the town forward in a positive direction.
TC: Give us a brief bio: Where you grew up, family, interests.
ER: I grew up in Lowell and am the youngest of 13 children. My wife, Serina, and I married in 2001. We purchased her childhood home and are raising our three boys: Blake, 19, a freshman at URI; Andrew, 16, and Grayson, 15, both students at TMHS. I have been very involved with volunteering and coaching youth sports for TYF, TBBL, and TYB. My son Andrew and I currently coach a 3rd and 4th-grade basketball team and are having a great time giving back to the community. I am also a Rails Up Bowling League member at Wamesit Lanes.
TC: What is your education?
ER: I graduated from Lowell High School and Woburn School of Electrical Code and Theory (Licensed Electrician).
TC: What is your “day job,” and how do your past or current professional experiences prepare you for service on the Select Board?
ER: I am the Director of Public Works for Hudson, MA. I have over 20 years of municipal management experience and am very skilled in municipal finance and budgeting. I manage a $16 million annual operating budget, including water, wastewater, and stormwater enterprise accounts, and a $46 million capital project budget.
I am adept at setting rates and budgets for water and sewer enterprise accounts and know how they are funded. This knowledge is crucial when setting Tewksbury’s water and sewer rates.
I am an experienced municipal project manager. This includes multi-million-dollar capital-building projects and complex infrastructure projects. Tewksbury is currently building a new $22 million DPW building. I know how to help ensure the project is completed on time and on budget.
My comprehensive knowledge spans all areas of municipal infrastructure, including water, wastewater, stormwater, roads, sidewalks, water mains, drains, culverts, winter operations, trash, parks, and emergency management. I understand that these are not just components of a town’s operations but crucial services that directly impact the lives of Tewksbury residents.
TC: If elected, what do you hope to accomplish in the next three years as a Select Board member?
ER: 1. Stabilize water and sewer rates.
2. Increase the installation of sidewalks without impacting the taxpayers by utilizing our current DPW resources and proactively applying for grants
3. Partner with the DPW department to strategize on solutions, programs, and available funding to improve our infrastructure (water, sewer, and roads)
4. Prioritize Economic Development and create business-focused solutions
5. Create a community recreation department offering affordable programs and activities for all ages and interests.
TC: How do you define your budget priorities if tough decisions have to be made?
ER: Public safety, town services (water, wastewater, roads), and schools are paramount. I have over 20 years of municipal budget expertise. I know how to dissect a budget and question expenses. If elected, I will go through the budget line by line to identify opportunities for savings. We must prioritize what is a “need to have” vs. a “want to have.” Every dollar saved is a saving for our tax-paying residents and business owners.
TC: Do you feel that Town Meeting is still effective or would you support moving to a representative Town Meeting or even a city structure?
ER: Town meetings are the truest form of legislative government, where citizens can directly make decisions that affect how they live. I do not support moving to a different structure. However, we need to modernize how we hold Town Meetings. Many towns across the state offer a virtual component of Town Meetings to provide access and voting capabilities to residents who cannot attend in person. This provision, which allows for adequate and accessible means of participation pertaining to the Open Meeting Law, has been extended until 2025 but hopefully will be made permanent. Another option that I believe will increase Town Meeting participation is to provide handheld voting devices instead of traditional roll call voting. This will allow residents to vote confidentially and comfortably, free of potential scrutiny.
TC: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Tewksbury, and how will you address it?
ER: Taxes. We must offset the residential taxes by bringing in more commercial businesses. Our Economic and Development office needs to focus on business development rather than residential development. In January 2021, representatives from DeMoulas Super Market submitted a conceptual plan to the Planning Board for a brand-new Stadium Plaza. That was over three years ago, and nothing has happened since. The property is a gateway into our town and has continued to deteriorate while other DeMoulas projects are being developed elsewhere. As a town, we shouldn’t sit back and wait for if and when this project happens. We need to be a proactive and business-friendly town. This includes being creative and aggressive in our strategy and approach. If elected, I will prioritize economic development (including Stadium Plaza).
TC: What is your position on how Tewksbury should, or should not, comply with the MBTA Communities Act?
ER: I am a proponent of strategic and thoughtful residential development. Not a “one size fits all” plan that the state is pushing. Personally, I do not feel that the state should have the authority to dictate to a town what and how they must build residential developments. I firmly believe that the zoning to require over 1200 new apartments will devastate Tewksbury as a community. We do not have the infrastructure (especially water, wastewater, and traffic mitigation) to accommodate the potential of 2,400+ new people. We do not have school capacity in the elementary grades. We will need another new school. This “law” enacted by our state legislatures provides zero funding to the affected towns. The financial burden will solely be the responsibility of the Tewksbury taxpayer, and that impact will be substantial. I have my opinion about the law, but ultimately, all residents have the opportunity to vote to adopt or reject the proposed MBTA communities zoning at the Town Meeting.
TC: If you see noncompliance as an option, what is your plan to deal with any financial penalties or legal action?
ER: The residents of Tewksbury will vote to adopt or reject the proposed MBTA community zoning at the Town Meeting. Their vote will determine the course of action, not an individual Select Board member.
TC: How do you think Tewksbury can best be proactive in regard to services and development at the Tewksbury State Hospital?
ER: The safety of the staff, patients, and town residents should be the utmost priority at the State Hospital. Tewksbury police, fire, and ambulance should not be the first responders to the continual incidents on state property. Over 3,000 calls from the State Hospital to Tewksbury police occurred in 2023. Twenty-five patients went missing. The population of patients that the State Hospital receives is much different than in years past due to changes in prison reform and the Danvers State Hospital closure. The state needs to install better security protocols, systems, and officers capable of managing daily incidents instead of burdening our town’s resources. As far as development is concerned, if elected, I will be a strong voice to preserve the open space we are afforded. Any potential development must benefit the residents of Tewksbury and not be a detriment.
TC: What didn’t we ask that you would like to share with voters?
ER: I am hosting a Food Drive to support the Tewksbury Community Food Bank on Sunday, May 24, from 10 am to 2 pm at Kyoto’s parking lot. Please bring your non-perishable food items so we can stock the food pantry before Easter. You can find more info on my Facebook page – “Eric Ryder for Tewksbury Select Board”
Thank you for your consideration, and don’t forget to vote on 4/6!
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