Mary Meagher

Mary Meagher
Town Council Vice President

I moved back to Jamestown in 1987 after getting my Masters in Architecture from MIT, set up my design business and have been designing houses and renovations ever since. I have served on the Town Council for the past twelve years, focusing on government access and accountability, improving our public facilities and ensuring our quality of life. We reorganized council meetings to promote public participation. We voted to create a town website (that now needs serious upgrading) and the ability to pay bills and make applications on line. We established registration and regulation of air bnb’s The town built an addition to the fire station, a new clubhouse at the golf course and renovated the library. The parking area at East Ferry and around the Fort Getty pavilion were landscaped and much improved. We created the Sustainable Resident program to give people who live here but are struggling, a means to stay here. We activated the Affordable Lot program to create more affordable housing. But there is more to do in all these realms!

We also have serious challenges in front of us. Water is the biggest one. Our municipal supply is both limited and precarious. Our staff of very dedicated public employees is stretched thin. Sea level rise and a changing climate have had profound effects on our island, particularly our roadways and recreation facilities. The state legislature has altered zoning laws across the state, with potentially harrowing effects. All small towns will need to adapt to these changes while protecting the qualities that make our town and landscape so important to us.

This is such a wonderful place to live! Serving on the town council has been not only a way of giving back to a generous community but a rewarding and energizing experience. The wheels of government move slowly, but they do move if you apply both energy and patience. And listen to people. I believe my experience is an asset. I am running for council because there is more we need to do to ensure that Jamestown continues to thrive for all of us.