Freedom – March 12, 2009 – Active retiree Neal Boyle beat local businessman and former selectman John Krebs Tuesday to replace Donna Cupka on Freedom’s Board of Selectmen. Boyle, who ran one of the most active campaigns in recent memory, based his candidacy on the need for greater community involvement and accessibility in local government.

In an interview last week with Carroll County Independent reporter Ashley Rigazio, Boyle said he believes a lack of transparency in managing the town has polarized Freedom’s residents.

“I’m seeing a lack of openness, and the town seems to have a ‘we/they’ thing going on,” he told Rigazio. “I’d like to move that together—get rid of the ‘we/they’ and get back to an ‘us.’ Freedom’s a community. I think a little bit of that has been lost.”

Boyle, who describes himself as fiscally conservative and socially responsible, said he wants to increase access to public information through the town’s website and “enhance computer literacy at town hall,” according to the Independent interview.

In his campaign, Boyle actively opposed the purchase of land for a new municipal complex, saying he believed that now is not the time for a major expense and keeping town offices in the village should be a priority.