I am running for re-election to the Select Board because I believe that Plymouth needs proactive and thoughtful leadership with a forward-looking plan to guide our Town into a more sustainable, inclusive, and economically vibrant future.
I am a local attorney and lifelong Plymouth resident who wants to continue to give back to the community I love. I served on the Advisory & Finance Committee for 9 years before being elected to the Select Board. When I was elected in 2023, I wanted to change the way the Select Board did business. The old ways weren’t working. Our Town wasn’t planning ahead. Our residents felt ignored. And our community needed change.
For the past three years, I have been that change. I brought Select Board meetings “On the Road” and into neighborhoods so residents could feel seen and heard by their elected officials. I have focused on long-term planning so that the Town can get ahead of issues before they spiral out of control. I have fought against 40B developments, changed the way our Town approaches the budget process, and stood up for the most vulnerable members of our community.
I am focused on making it easier for all residents to live, work, and retire in our community. My plan is based on three pillars: affordability, smart economic development, and responsive leadership rooted in community engagement. Together, my priorities balance smart growth with the preservation of Plymouth’s character and quality of life.
Like many communities across Massachusetts, Plymouth faces rising housing costs that increasingly put pressure on working families, young professionals, and seniors. I want to create truly attainable housing options by leveraging public-private partnerships with those who agree to maintain our community standards, so that the Town can expand its housing supply in a way that meets real needs without overburdening infrastructure or altering neighborhood character. We need affordable housing that fits organically into our neighborhoods, not 40B projects that line out-of-town developers’ pockets at the expense of our community.
Affordability also extends beyond housing. We also need to reduce the burden on residential taxpayers, because many homeowners are feeling squeezed by rising costs. We need a broader commercial tax base so that the financial responsibility for Town services is more evenly shared. From young adults trying to establish themselves to retirees hoping to remain in the community they love, my plan aims to create opportunities that support a full spectrum of residents. This strategy ties directly into my economic development agenda, ensuring that growth benefits residents rather than displacing them.
Economic development grounded in a philosophy of balance and sustainability is the next major pillar of my plan. Rather than pursuing growth at any cost, we should direct commercial development to areas that already have the infrastructure to support it and review our zoning bylaws to make sure we are making the best use of the areas we’ve already targeted for commercial and light industrial development. This targeted approach minimizes strain on roads, utilities, and public services while making development more efficient and predictable.
A key component of this strategy is attracting businesses that provide well-paying jobs for Plymouth residents. Over 70% of our residents commute outside our borders for work, and over 70% of those that work in Plymouth commute from another community to their jobs here. This means that for too many people, you can either live here or work here, but you can’t do both. That is not a recipe for a sustainable community.
We must attract more trade jobs, like carpenters, plumbers, and electricians that are the backbone of any local economy, and more white collar professional jobs that earn a good salary and provide necessary services to our residents. And we should leverage the presence of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to bring in more medical and biotech jobs.
If we take these steps, we will have a broader commercial base that will allow more people to live and work in the same community.
I have a proven track record of advocating for residents. The “On the Road” meetings I implemented took the Select Board out of Town Hall and directly into neighborhoods. These meetings allow residents to voice concerns, ask questions, and engage directly with their elected leaders, strengthening trust and accountability and providing an opportunity for the Board to address neighborhood concerns.
I have also consistently opposed projects and policies that I believe would harm the community, such as 40B developments, draconian cuts to services residents depend on, or federal government overreach. I always put our residents first.
And every decision I make has the long-term interests of our community in mind. Many of the challenges we face today were caused by the short-term thinking of years past. I am always mindful of how the decisions I make today will affect the Plymouth of ten, twenty, or thirty years from now. If we want Plymouth to thrive for generations to come, that is the leadership we need.
That’s why I’m running for re-election: to continue to move Plymouth forward.
– Kevin Canty