Bonnie Van Slyke: “I Am Committed To Charlestown”

Our town deserves a government that will safeguard our excellent quality of life, our low tax rate, and our beautiful environment, priorities supported overwhelmingly by our taxpayers in the 2021 Town-wide Survey. To accomplish this, I offer these commitments if elected to the Town Council:

• I commit to protect our natural resources so that our drinking water is clean; our salt and freshwater ponds are healthy; our starlit skies are not hidden; and our forests and wildlife flourish.
• I commit to provide open, honest, responsible leadership that listens to concerns and acts in the best interests of all our residents.
• I commit to manage our town’s administration and budgets effectively and to provide needed services at a good value.
• I commit to work to ensure that residential and commercial growth are environmentally sustainable and preserve our rural character and small-town identity.
• I commit to preserve local control and work with non-profits to build some modestly priced homes in every new subdivision.
• I commit to plan for the impacts of climate change and to maintain adequate financial reserves so that the town is able to respond to weather events and other emergencies.
• I commit to protect access to our beaches and ponds, Wild and Scenic River, hiking trails, bike paths, and parks and to steward our cultural and historical resources for future generations.
• I commit to work to ensure that our town’s children get an excellent education at a reasonable cost.
• I commit to working with the community as we strive to safeguard our rural, beautiful town.

Protecting our environment, economy, and future depends on electing good candidates for local office, but it also depends on each of us, the citizens of Charlestown, working together.

Bonnie Van Slyke, the author of this post, is a candidate for Town Council in the December 2, 2025 election. She was a member of the Charlestown Town Council from 2014 to 2022. She was the Town Council Liaison to the Planning Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Senior Citizens Commission. She is a former officer and member of the Board of Directors of the Frosty Drew Observatory & Science Center, a former Chair of the Zoning Board of Appeals in Harvard, MA and a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Harvard Conservation Trust. Bonnie is a freelance copy editor, technical writer, and publications specialist. You can learn more about Bonnie on her profile page.