To the editor:

As next week’s election nears, I look forward to the opportunity to work with a new Council. All three members whose terms are up will be leaving the Council, ensuring that the majority of the members of the Council that forms in December will be new to the office for the first time in several election cycles.

We need the next Council to bring the Town forward through the national unrest of a renewed civil rights struggle that has divided our nation at levels not seen in 50 years, and a pandemic the likes of which haven’t been experienced in 100 years. The Council must lead Barrington through these challenges while also bolstering the Town’s resilience in the face of sea level rise and other impacts of climate change, continuing to make our town more connected with a walkable town center filled with thriving local businesses, and while creating more housing opportunities for seniors and ensuring that Barrington remains financially accessible for the many future residents who can, and will, contribute to our warm community.

The policies and practices of the past will not be what delivers the future that Barrington deserves. Realizing the Barrington of the future will take bold, innovative, smart and compassionate leadership.

For those of you who haven’t voted yet, do so with confidence. Carl Kustell takes a data-driven approach to inform sound decision-making, and to create bulletproof proposals that are rooted in the humanity of us all. Annelise Conway represents diverse perspectives and can propose solutions formed from her experiences living in communities throughout the country. John Alessandro is a lifelong Barrington resident and seasoned politician who has experience serving our town as an elected official. Rob Humm brings as much municipal service experience as one could hope for; steadily chairing two town boards and demonstrating effective leadership, passion for Barrington, and a commitment to engaging our neighbors.

While I’m sad to see some members of the current Council go, I’m inspired by what the new Council can accomplish over the next couple years. Whichever three of the four candidates join Mike and me on the Council in December, we must all come together as one crew who can right the ship and weather this storm for all of Barrington, and with all Barringtonians.

Until then, let’s keep our spirits high, our masks on, and our community open. We’re all in this together, and we’re heading toward an even better Barrington.

Jacob Brier

Barrington