Dixon
people come to the house,” he said. “I’d asked them, if they lived in Chelmsford, what they like the most about Chelmsford and what do they dislike the most about Chelmsford?”
If elected to another term, Dixon said that he will focus on the things he has heard from residents, including lowering residential taxes, especially because so many Chelmsford residents are seniors on fixed incomes. He will also work to enrich the lives of youths in the town by helping youth organizations with fundraisers, for example.
Another cause Dixon is passionate about is strengthening relations with the Chelmsford Police Department. He hopes to broker a partnership between the Police Athletic League and the youth leagues in town.
“I’d like to see that really develop with the youth leagues in town working together, where there’d be a liaison from the police department working with every youth group, so that the kids can get to know the police and know that they’re not the enemy,” he said. “I’ve lived in Chelmsford my whole life and never really had a problem … but I mean, I think we stay on top of it pretty good. They try to do the right thing.”
Dixon had previously voted not to renew Town Manager Paul Cohen’s contract ahead of its June 2021 expiration over a sergeants’ union negotiation dispute, but said now that he isn’t necessarily planning to vote the same way again. If he is re-elected, he said he will wait to decide whether to renew Cohen’s contract as June approaches.
“Whatever’s going on right now, that everybody isn’t on the same page, let’s see if we can get a resolve, I’m for resolving things,” he said. “If we had somebody that I know was competent, and did his job and we were working OK together, why would I go looking for somebody else?”
So far, only two other residents have pulled papers for the two open Select Board seats — Mark Carota, who currently serves on the Zoning Board of Appeals, and Latosha Dixon, who currently serves on the Diversity, Racial Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Residents have until Feb. 11 pull papers.