Finance Committee Chair Is Third Selectman Candidate

by William F. Galvin

            HARWICH – The selectmen’s race is heating up with the addition of Finance Committee Chair Linda Cebula, who took out nomination papers on Friday, making it a three-person race for two seats if all the candidates file.

            Cebula joins incumbent Selectman Ed McManus and political newcomer Rick Toma, who took out nomination papers last week. Cebula has been a member of the finance committee for five years and sees town finances as the biggest issue facing the community.

Finance Committee Chair Linda Cebula has taken out nomination papers to run for selectman. WILLIAM F. GALVIN PHOTO

            “Basically, it’s about the money and how much we have and where it comes from and how we spend it to get the best use for it and still provide so we have a great community in which to live, “ Cebula said.

            The latest candidate to enter the race has also served on the town’s insurance committee and the housing committee for short periods of time. This is her first run for public office.

Cebula is an accountant and financial consultant who moved to Harwich from Newton six years ago when looking for a community in which she and her husband, Housing Authority member Robert MacCready, would like to spend their retirement years. Cebula said they have owned their property for close to a dozen years.

The finance committee chair said she wants to be part of the leadership of the community because there are difficult decisions to be made and she wants to be part of that process. Cebula has a bachelor’s degree in history and education from the University of Massachusetts, a degree in accounting from Bentley College and an MBA from Northeastern University.

“Revenue streams are capped so unless we find new revenue streams it will impact what we can do,” Cebula said.

But the selectman candidate said she does not support implementing hikes in room and meals taxes on the warrant for hotels at this point. That is a position she said the finance committee is also taking.

“I’d prefer not to be taxing our way out of spending difficulties,” Cebula said. “I’d like to see revenues scrubbed and we start living within the parameters of Proposition 2½. We should be as efficient as possible before we start adding new taxes.”

Regionalization of schools and sharing services with other communities are steps necessary for the future, Cebula said. School regionalization will not save money but it will increase the course offerings for the students, she added.    

Economics and regionalization will impact other issues, such as how many police and fire officials there are on the street. The economy is an overriding issue.

“The people I talk with say it’s not a matter of wanting to pay more, but can we pay more,” Cebula said. “The economy this time has hit so many people in so many different ways.”  

The finance committee chair said she is “a good listener” and will weigh all sides of a topic and make a decision that is practical and will serve the community in the best way.

“I don’t make up my mind on a topic until I’ve heard the information,” Cebula said. “I find there is generally more to an issue than appears on the surface. I don’t tend to rely on other people, I try to find out information myself and do my homework.”

Speaking of the proposed wind turbines, Cebula said going green is a good idea and anything that can be done to lessen the impact on the ecosystem is good. But she also said she will be interested in seeing study results on noise impacts before making a decision to go forward.

Citing contract negotiations, she said the town has to become more practical in employment practices and the services provided for the community so as to not bankrupt people. She also said unfunded state mandates need to be examined because they are “stretching and stressing” local budgets.

Speaking of implementing cost-saving measures, Cebula said “you accomplish it through leadership and making good decisions and thinking outside the box.”

The last day to take out nomination papers is Friday, March 26 and they must be filed on the following Tuesday. This week Sharon Stout, a former school psychologist in the Chatham school system, took out nomination papers for the three-year term on the school committee now held by Thomas Blute.

3/11/10