Tosi is running to serve as a bridge to old, young

Robert Tosi Jr. Tosi

Supports AHS rebuilding, town override

Robert Tosi Jr. hopes the third try for Town Hall's top decision-making body is a charm.

The 51-year-old care manager at Minuteman Senior Services is seeking a three-year seat on the Select Board by focusing on service, dedication and leadership.

He hopes those words -- which he says epitomize his life in town -- will drive his efforts to meet what he sees as Arlington's key challenges. They are:

-- Building the new Arlington High School, the largest construction project the town has ever undertaken.

'Greatest opportunity'

In an extended statement from his campaign, he calls it "our greatest opportunity to improve our children’s educational experiences and our community's amenities. We’re almost ready to present a plan to you, the voters. We’ve made every effort for the plan to be the best design, for the best educational outcomes and for the very best price."

-- Balancing the town's budget needs to be done for this year and the near future. "To do so, we will need to ask [town residents] for more money. At the same time, we need to enable Arlington’s seniors and longtime residents, who have contributed so much to the community’s quality of life, to continue to afford to live here.

"As Select Board members, we must be constantly mindful of budget choices, and not just in June as we ask for your support. The budget represents the values of our community. We must clearly communicate our reasoning for choices -– both easy and hard."

-- Listening to Arlington’s residents is imperative. His campaign's statement continues: "We need leaders who are open, approachable and able and willing to listen to ALL Arlingtonians. We need leaders who are respectful of the needs of old and young alike. That’s the leadership you know I represent.

"Advocating for seniors is necessary, as the town is growing older. We need a strong voice for seniors on the Select Board. Twenty percent of Arlington residents are seniors, yet less than 1 percent of our town budget is spent on their direct services. My decades of volunteer and work experience with seniors and their caregivers uniquely qualify me to be a leader on senior issues."

Why run?

In explaining why Tosi is running for election to the three-year seat vacated after longtime member Kevin Greeley died last November, his campaign statement detailed how he can serve all Arlington residents:

"I can serve as a bridge between lifelong residents and newer citizens. This is because I value the contributions and sacrifices of longtime Arlingtonians and welcome new ideas of more recent residents. I’m concerned about the needs of all Arlingtonians -- the children, young, midlife residents and seniors.

"I am open and available to listen to your concerns and welcome your ideas. If elected I will continue to make myself available so that I can be a voice for all residents. YOU deserve to be heard."

The statement addresses the difficulty ahead.

"The challenges of completing the rebuilding of Arlington High School, balancing our municipal budgets, listening to residents and advocating for all, including seniors and children, demand the knowledge, the commitment, the compassion and the leadership that you know I represent. And that’s why I’m asking for your vote on Saturday, April 6, to serve as a member and leader on the Arlington Select Board.

"One of the many rewards of my service in Arlington has been getting to know so many of you. For 31 years, I have proudly represented you in Town Meetings, starting as an undergraduate at Merrimack College. I served 12 years on the Finance Committee and 14 years on the Council on Aging, which I chaired for three years."

Background

His professional life has included work in mutual-fund accounting at State Street Bank and as an office manager at a medical device company. His statement adds: "However, when I reexamined my professional goals, I realized my life mission was to be of service to others."

After obtaining a certificate in gerontology from the University of Massachusetts in Boston, he began working as a care manager for Minuteman Senior Services, which provides resources to 16 communities, including Arlington. For the last 13 years, he says he has coordinated services to enable seniors to continue to live in their own homes.

As a corporator of the Arlington Boys & Girls Club, member of the Touchdown Club of Arlington, and lifelong member of the Friends of Robbins Library, he has supported children in town.

He cites his service to the town -- which have included planning, administering operations, legislating and budgeting -- as qualifying him as a candidate for Select Board, "who can hit the ground running." His leadership in many civic and community groups include roles as past grand knight/president of the Knights of Columbus, current president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and vice chair of his church’s parish council.

The statement added: "I feel responsible for the well-being of all our neighbors and families very deeply. It’s why I was so grateful to be named the Community Person of the Year in 2014 by the Rotary Club of Arlington."

Tosi has run twice for what was then called the Board of Selectmen, in 2012 and 2104. In the latter race, he came up short by just 33 votes.