An evening with Mayor Proto

The Mirror sat down for a brief chat during his office hours on Tuesday. With November elections just around the corner, we thought it was a good time to get Mayor Proto’s perspective on a couple of things percolating around town.

MIRROR: Okay, the harbormaster position. It has been advertised for the last couple of weeks, but at the same time, there has been a lot of talk about selling the harbor, or leasing it to a management company. Given that the town has advertised for the position, is it safe to say that leasing to a management company is off the table now?

PROTO: Yes, we have advertised. Is the management company off the table, well, all I can say is that we are committed to doing our due diligence. That being said, part of doing that due diligence is to investigate all the options. One of those options is to look into the possibility of using a management company, and how that might be beneficial to the town. Even, with looking at that, I personally…I’m not sure, I’m not convinced that something like that would be a good fit for us.

MIRROR: I’m not so sure either.The position has been out there for over a week, have you had many applications?

PROTO: I’m not sure we have had any…

MIRROR: I think you have at least three. Sources tell us there are about nine or ten.

PROTO: That may be, I’ll have to check into that.

MIRROR: Hopefully, we would like to see some locals apply. That should be a sought after position. It is a great job for the right person. There are some requirements that seem a little weird, and may eliminate some good candidates, like having to know Quickbooks and things like that. Not sure how that applies. I think there are some things about being on this water that only the locals really understand…that kind of knowledge, you can’t put a price…

PROTO: Well…yes…

MIRROR: So, your wife, Nancy is running for School Board, correct?

PROTO: Yes, she is.

MIRROR: Now, you’re just the mayor, and she may be on the school board. Are you jealous, or intimidated? Do you feel diminished as a man?

PROTO: Oh, no(laughs). Wayne. I am so proud of my wife, I can’t even say. Just knowing her, I know just how great she will be on the school board.

MIRROR: That’s great. So what can you tell us, I mean, what you would consider to be her greatest asset. Why would she be a good fit for the school board?

PROTO: Well, you already published the piece on her qualifications…

MIRROR: Yes, they are very impressive.

PROTO: Now, she went back to school after raising three kids, she finished her graduate work, and then has continued to keep her credentials up to date, always striving to keep her credentials relevant. She has such great problem solving skills, and combined with her substantial amount of training, education and experience, she really brings so much to the table. I want to say that, the schools, there has been a good turn around in recent years, but they still need some help. That said, we have great people and students, and we are seeing them really make strides, see them improving. For Nancy, it is not so much that she thinks she is going to swoop in and change everything….she realizes that it is….

MIRROR: Yes, it doesn’t happen all at once. It’s a process, right?

PROTO: Yes, exactly. Nancy understands that we have to start somewhere, and she wants to say, look, what can I do to help? What can I do to help?

MIRROR: Great, great. Well Mr. Mayor, it’s been a long day for me. I’m exhausted.

PROTO: I told everyone I was only staying until 6:45 tonight anyway.

MIRROR: I think this wraps it up. Thank you for taking the time to have these office hours, they are a great service.

PROTO: Thanks, Wayne.