Scott Hazelton announces run for one-year Westford Select Board seat, outlines fiscal and housing priorities

Scott Hazelton announced he is running for the one-year Select Board seat vacated by John Cunningham, saying his family situation has been resolved and he is seeking to return to town government.

Hazelton, who said he and his wife Sue have lived in Westford for 40 years, told listeners that his three children graduated from Westford Public Schools and that preserving the town’s high-quality education is a priority. "One of my objectives is to preserve the high-quality education that they received," he said.

Drawing on professional experience, Hazelton described himself as an economist who specializes in construction and building-materials markets and said those data-analysis skills are transferable to municipal budgeting and resource-allocation decisions. He also noted past service as a firefighter EMT, which he said informs his interest in public safety.

Hazelton outlined what he described as a major town accomplishment at 35 Town Farm Road: a multipurpose project that he said would leverage state funds and Community Preservation Committee (CPC) money to create roughly 30-plus units of affordable senior housing, add a modern food pantry, preserve the historic town-farm building and relocate the fire department to a new training-ground facility. "This is the kind of efficient, multi-purpose, and well-conceived investment that we need to make in these financially difficult times," he said.

He cited a record of capital delivery and fiscal discipline, saying he serves as vice chair of the permanent town building committee and that projects including the center fire headquarters, a new dispatch center and the Rodenbush renovation were finished on time and at or under budget. He also said that during 12 years on the Select Board the town delivered 11 operationally balanced budgets.

On near-term fiscal strategy, Hazelton said Westford "holds well over 5% of the recommended budget in free cash" and argued that town leaders should consider deploying that cash in a disciplined way before pursuing an override. He urged a line-by-line budget review and attention to fast-growing cost drivers such as trash, energy and insurance.

To improve municipal efficiency, Hazelton proposed exploring which artificial-intelligence functions could save staff time and improve resident services, citing potential uses such as streamlining payroll, procurement and compliance reporting, monitoring energy efficiency in municipal and school buildings, and optimizing HVAC and lighting based on demand and weather.

He said the town-meeting-approved budget included significant increases for the town clerk, permitting and building departments and recommended evaluating fees to better cover inspection and service costs expected from proposed developments under the MBTA Communities Act. Hazelton cautioned that development-related revenue and mitigation funds can help but that the timing of incoming revenue should be carefully compared to expenses; he cited the Cornerstone development as a precedent to review.

Hazelton closed by asking for support in the May 5 election: "I would like to bring my professional and hard-earned town experience to the Select Board, and I ask and appreciate your vote on May 5th."