2-5-08
Teague Seeks Walpole Selectman Position
By Chuck Bingaman, Contributing Writer
Jamie Teague of North Walpole, currently Financial Services Manager of SAU60, is seeking election March 11 as a Walpole selectman in the position coming open through the retirement of long-time selectman Charles E. (Chick) Miller.
Teague, 43, a seven-year resident of North Walpole, has a Bachelors degree in finance (with a minor in accounting) from Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, a Masters in Business Administration with an additional certification in school business administration from Plymouth State College, and is a New Hampshire state certified school business administrator.
“My primary motivation in seeking the selectman’s seat is to bring the villages of Walpole and North Walpole closer in line with each other on the issues and to bring a new generation’s views to town government. Nothing,” 
she says, “has been done wrong that I know of, but it is time to have more diverse views on the select board…and people in both the village and town asked me to do it!”
Teague says that her considerable business, accounting and management background directly qualifies her for the selectman position. “I’m business minded with a specialty in accounting. I also have a deep facilities management background, having been the co-op coordinator and manager of the Tri-Park Cooperative Housing Corp. in Brattleboro, a large organization of more than 1,000 people and three parks with over 370 mobile home sites. That position required me to develop skills in working with a large and diverse number of people on a daily basis and to learn about construction and road maintenance in order to oversee projects.”
Teague also notes experience in local government, having served since 2001 on the North Walpole zoning board and having helped rewrite the North Walpole zoning ordinance in 2003. Teague currently serves as one of three North Walpole village auditors.
In her daily work with SAU 60, Teague oversees the payroll, accounts payable, and human resources for all schools in the district. She also handles the preparation of state and federal grant reports and annual audits. “My accounting background would serve me well in working on town budgets,” she says. “And, as I do not have policy making roles with the district, I do not see any conflicts of interest between my work and Walpole town business.”
“I think the recent Walpole selectmen have worked very hard to keep the town budgets stable and to preserve the small town environment that we all think is very important,” observes Teague. “At the same time, it appears to me that there has been conflict between the selectmen and some of the boards that needs to be looked at squarely and resolved so the town government can function as smoothly as possible. I would work for more transparency and better communications between the select board and other town groups.”
As to changes Teague would work for as a selectman, “I suggest rotating the site of the selectmen’s meetings more with meetings held regularly in North Walpole in addition to the town hall. I’d also like to see more North Walpole people involved in town commissions and committees—something I know that the other selectmen agree with—and I will work hard to identify and encourage qualified participants from North Walpole.”
Teague adds, “I would encourage economic development in the area to strengthen and stabilize the tax base. You really can do it in a responsible manner that everyone would be comfortable with. And, I would work toward opening up select board meetings with public TV coverage or possibly streaming video on the Internet so citizens could see their board in action even if they cannot attend meetings. I also think that would open up the meetings and assure that personal agendas do not dominate meetings.”
Teague lives with her husband Chris and two cats in a house on Church Street in North Walpole they are gradually renovating.
Walpole voters will cast ballots for their new selectman and several other offices on Tuesday, March 11.
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