What do you care about?

Sarah is a doer, not a talker, and she cares about...

Our Children and Young People

  1. Has run the toddler story hour at the Library for 27 years
  2. Continued to run the toddler story hour during the pandemic with Zoom
  3. Chaired the team that built Carver's first community playground
  4. Started and directed YPAC, a youth center for Carver's young adults that provided a safe, supervised after-school environment where they could learn self-esteem with the goal of drug- and substance-abuse prevention
  5. Worked to pass the Community Preservation Act that has since funded many of the Town's recreational needs, including upgrades to the ballfields
  6. Member of team that built the Purchase Street recreational fields
  7. As a Director on the South Shore Community Action Council, she supports early childhood education programs

Our Environment and Drinking Water

  1. Started and chairs the Carver Trail and Conservation Stewards committee that is working to reopen recreational trails in Carver's preserved open space to provide more recreational opportunities to residents
  2. Coordinated with residents of Wenham Shores and the state Department of Fish and Game to protect two properties on Wenham Pond from inappropriate development and preserve it for the residents
  3. Preserved 600 acres of land in Carver for recreation, sportsmen, endangered species habitat, to keep our taxes low, and to protect our drinking water
  4. Established win-win-win rules for conservation subdivisions that save land, increase residents' home values, and save developers money
  5. Represented Carver and served as Chair of the 7-town Plymouth / Carver Aquifer Advisory Committee
  6. Was on the team that wrote the Town's Open Space and Recreation Plan so that we can receive state aid and grants
  7. Got two million dollars in grants to purchase the 221-acre Cole Property to prevent inappropriate, tax-negative development and preserved it for recreation, sportsmen, and to protect our drinking water
  8. Saved land next to Savery Avenue from inappropriate, tax-negative development and preserved it for recreation and open space protection
  9. Negotiated free, voluntary curbside recycling for residents.
  10. Received the Government Service Award from the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association for working together with the agricultural community to promote healthy conservation practices

Our Town Finances and Taxes

  1. As an elected official, Sarah has a 28-year record of success in not only "holding the line" on taxes through smart growth, land preservation, etc., but also in actually saving residents money on the bills they pay every month while working to maintain services and delivering balanced budget after balanced budget
  2. Wrote a CPA grant application to reduce the cost to residents of the new elementary school by $2,000,000
  3. Joined forces with other Select Board members to get 60% reimbursement from the state for building Carver's new Elementary School
  4. Supported "payment in lieu of taxes" (PILOT) programs for solar projects to ensure that residents' taxes would not be raised to cover depreciation of business infrastructure
  5. In all, got Carver more than $4,500,000 in grants
  6. Saved 34% on town street light bill by negotiating purchase (for $1) of street lights from NStar
  7. Reduced town's energy bill by 11% by negotiating for 25% of Town's energy from solar power
  8. Spearheaded residential curbside trash/recycling pick-up at 50% off going price
  9. Prevented large-scale, inappropriate, tax-negative development that would have raised our taxes and strained public services
  10. As a Planning Board member and then as Conservation Agent, she had a 100% success rate in approving new businesses but always conditioned approval so that residents, our environment, and our drinking water were protected
  11. Was on the team that wrote the Town's first Master Plan in 25 years and has helped upgrade the plan twice so that we can receive state aid and grants
  12. Represents Carver as a member of the South Eastern Massachusetts Metorpolitan Planning Organization, planning the future of transportation in our area (SMMPO)
  13. Represented Carver as a Commissioner on the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) to plan Carver's future and ensure Carver-appropriate and tax-positive development
  14. Represented Carver on the A. D. Makepeace Task Force

Our Seniors and Veterans

  1. Worked with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to honor the memory of Carver's own Bob "Grumpy" Conway--veteran, conservationist, bog foreman, and Conservation Commission member--by naming the perennial stream whose source he discovered on the Cole Property "Grumpys Brook"
  2. Established rules for affordable housing that respect all residents, with consideration for seniors and veterans
  3. Made sure that the CPA was affordable to residents by including a $100,000 property valuation reduction on the surcharge, and providing low-income and senior exemptions
  4. Cut water rates for seniors at Cranberry Village
  5. Succeeded in upgrading municipal water system for senior and affordable housing on Meadowbrook Way
  6. As a Director on the South Shore Community Action Council (SSCAC), she supports programs that support low-income seniors, veterans, and families, including the food distribution and energy conservation programs. In 2022, 899 low-income Carver residents and 661 low-income Carver households were helped by SSCAC and $828,849 in service dollars were expended by SSCAC on behalf of Carver residents

Public Safety

  1. Worked with our Emergency Management Director to write the Town's Emergency Management plans so we can receive state aid and grants
  2. Partnered with the Carver Police Department and Pine Tree Village board to enhance public safety in the Village
  3. Worked to connect our young people and their parents with our Police, Fire, and EMS departments both through her Story Hour at the Public Library and as former volunteer YPAC Executive Director
  4. Worked with the Superintendent of Carver's DPW to get federal and state funding for the sidewalk installation on Route 58/Main Street
  5. Partnered with the Emergency Management Department in disaster preparedness exercises and planning

Local Government Transparency

  1. As Select Board Chair, re-established Select Board Notes at Board meetings for increased participation by all Board members, transparency for the Board and the public, and for public engagement
  2. For 28 years has kept every single promise she's made to voters
  3. Advocated for the Town to establish a resident-focused website for governmental transparency. When the cost to the taxpayer was considered to be too high, she donated the time and expertise of her small business to develop and maintain the website for free
  4. Started Zoom office hours to continue one-on-one meetings with residents during the pandemic
  5. Is available and responsive to all residents: call her at home (508-866-2342), send her an email, or drop in to her office hours