Elizabeth Sawyer seeks one-year Westford Select Board seat, highlights fiscal focus and community service

Elizabeth Sawyer asked voters to elect her on May 5 to the one-year seat on the Westford Select Board, saying the town faces "significant financial challenges" and that she would prioritize operational efficiency and new revenue opportunities.

Sawyer, who identified herself as a longtime Westford resident, parent and community volunteer, cited more than 20 years of private-sector experience at IBM and local service roles as preparation for Select Board duties. "I bring 20-plus years of experience from IBM," she said, adding that her work leading cross-functional teams and managing complex projects is directly applicable to policy setting and oversight.

She described long-standing local involvement including time on the Day School office staff, a past office-manager role at the Prescott Community Center in Groton and 25 years on the Westford Recycling Commission. Sawyer also said she is program coordinator for the Massachusetts Water Works Association, a nonprofit focused on clean drinking water, and that the role deepened her understanding of infrastructure, regulation and long-term planning.

On municipal priorities, Sawyer framed Westford as a town where "expenses exceed revenue, costs are climbing, and major investments are on the horizon." She proposed a board approach centered on "action, data-driven, strategic, understandable, and timely decision-making" along with "effective, frequent, transparent communication that builds engagement and trust." She said she would join the board's existing fiscal-year priorities and focus on operational efficiency and new revenue sources.

To illustrate her approach, Sawyer described her work revamping Westford's household hazardous-waste collections two decades ago. She said the events had been held every other year and that "on the day of the event, wait times were typically long, 1 hour or more." By integrating a second vendor to accept lead-acid batteries at no cost, expanding online communications and replacing a mailed flyer with a vendor-funded expanded recycling guide, Sawyer said the town was able to move to annual collections with shorter wait times.

Sawyer closed by asking for voters' support on May 5. "I hope to have your vote on May 5th," she said, and thanked listeners.

The statement contained no formal motions or votes; Sawyer presented her background, priorities and an operational example but did not propose specific warrant articles, budget figures or formal board actions during the remarks.