Meet Joe Pato: He Wants To Be Your Next Selectman

You might know Joe Pato from the neighborhood, or Town Meeting, or the Appropriation Committee, or as Jeri Zeder’s husband. Or maybe you don’t know him at all.

Whichever of the above has been the case, it’s about to change, or at least evolve: A Lexington resident of 16 years, Joe Pato is running for the Board of Selectmen.

Pato announced his candidacy last week, after pulling papers . That was quickly followed by a note to the Yahoo group and the launch of his website, JoePato.com, on which he explains his approach thusly:

My approach is to throw away assumptions, dig for facts, and clarify the issues for the community. I believe in aligning support by stating a clear, transparent case and finding common interests collaboratively. I search for the value in an idea, regardless of the source. I take my own positions, but always respectfully.

I ask the residents of Lexington to share your ideas and concerns with me so that, together, we can move Lexington forward with fresh thinking and broad community engagement.

 Two spots on the on the five-member Board of Selectmen will be decided by the annual Town Elections to be held March 4, 2013. 

Of the current inhabitants of those seats, Deb Mauger, the current chair, has said she intends to seek a second term, while selectman George Burnell has made public his decision not to run for a third term. And now Pato, a Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member since 2008 and Appropriation Committee member since 2009, has thrown his hat into the mix..

Some might remember Pato as the proponent of a special Town Meeting article looking to move toward electronic voting. A computer scientist  by trade, Pato said he would be supportive of changes like that one in Lexington’s future.

“Tradition is a wonderful thing,” he said. “But one of the traditions should be being open to and looking for change.”

Pato said he feels the town has been “extremely well run” and was able to weather the financial crisis without draining its reserves thanks to talented and dedicated staff and volunteers.

With a background on the Appropriation Committee, Pato said he would bring to the Board of Selectmen a strong sense of the town’s financial position as it moves forward with future challenges.

In the weeks and months leading up to the election, Pato said he’ll look to interact with voters through meetings with community groups, office hours, his website and a campaign Facebook page.