Dear Residents of West Newbury,
I am writing to respectfully tender my resignation from the Select Board, with an effective date of March 1, 2026. My reasoning for doing so is strictly personal, and relates to a significant change in personal circumstances. My fellow board members invest staggering amounts of time to keep up with the ever-burgeoning needs of the Town, and despite their support and accommodation, I do not feel that I am able to provide the return that is owed to residents.
Prior to the Select Board, I had served primarily on the Finance Committee, and I had felt that I had at least a finger on the pulse of Town business. Notwithstanding this ramp up, it was not without a sense of awe and wonderment that I navigated my first year on the Select Board. To some, Town business looks to be a calm and orderly one, like the placid surface of an inlet. However, joining the Select Board, for me, was like donning goggles and a snorkel, and looking under the surface to see a hidden, complex ecosystem.
Some items of business are exciting and headline-grabbing, but I found the large majority to be sobering; abstruse issues requiring scrupulous analysis and decision-making, where the benefits (or liabilities) sometimes are a generation away. During my time, I had the pleasure of interacting with numerous members of Town staff, and I was struck by their industriousness, integrity, and respective acumen, qualities in such remarkable excess as to rival any of my experiences in the private sector.
I didn’t write this letter to pander to my former colleagues, but I can’t help but give credit where it is due – it was an honor and a privilege to serve with Wendy Reed and Chris Wile. I saw them volunteering immense portions of their personal time not simply to check the boxes of their positions, but rather to proactively and ardently anticipate and stay abreast of issues. They were models for thoughtful, collaborative, and discerning leadership, and think tirelessly in terms of what is best for the Town as a whole.
It is my hope that the Town’s leadership will continue to be measured and thoughtful: to listen to the passions of the crowd, but to remember that the loudest voices are still often but a portion of many competing interests in our community. It is the aggregation and balancing of these interests that is best for the Town as a whole. I believe that to be in a democracy is to occasionally have things not go your way; and yet, it is the respectful struggle between these differing interests that results in balanced and sustainable progress.
I would like to thank the voters that elected me to the Select Board, and the friends and supporters I’ve made along the way. It is my hope to some day again contribute to the Town in some capacity, but until then, I will see you all around town.
Sincerely,
Ross Capolupo
