Saatvik Ahluwalia,the youngest ever person to stand for the Lexington Board of Selectman is stirring up a fresh new excitement within the town. Election day is March 3rd and we feature this dynamic youngster to state his views. A graduate of BU and with a background in political campaigns, he brings with him new ideas and a fresh perspective. 

You are less than a month away from Election Day. What are the top three reasons you would give voters to go out on March 3^rd to elect you?   

This election is exciting and I am seeking your support. The top three reasons are that I will support fiscal stability, efficient delivery of services and work towards engaging our diverse communities and youth.  As a Board of Selectmen we must address:

Long Term Fiscal Stability: pursue a multiyear, all-needs approach to budgeting: what major capital projects are on the horizon? How can they be staged? What plans do we have to take advantage of cyclical lows in construction costs? Or we must take advantage of surpluses to meet known needs (retirees’ healthcare). Today, we take on new obligations with too little thinking about their long-term costs and impacts.

Innovative Ways to Deliver Services: prioritize fresh thinking to sustain Lexington's municipal services and schools, at a time when expenses (taxes) weigh heavily on our long-term residents. We can do things in new, innovative ways by using technology and social media, for example to link school students' community-service interests with seniors' needs.

Community Engagement: work with young people, newcomers and other disengaged residents, especially our Asian-American and Indian American communities. They must become engaged in Town affairs with active outreach through existing and new community organizations.

As one of the youngest person in your generation, can you share your thoughts on how the response from local residents has been to your campaign?

It is an honor to have the support of the community of Lexington. It has been a true pleasure to meet residents at Coffee Hours and discuss the issues that are important to them.  The challenge that my campaign faces is that I do not have name recognition, but through my canvases, phone banks, and coffees, the people of Lexington are beginning to see me as a candidate who cares about the entire town, wants to innovate about how we deliver services, and will create transparency and accountability for the government.

Have you rallied the young voter?

My Campaign team is working hard to rally the youth vote.  We are reaching out to them via social media, phone calls and meetings at coffee shops and ice cream parlors. We also have a dedicated core group of young volunteers who have been knocking on doors. Seeing a young person running who is supported by young citizens has help engage the young voters. 

Share something about yourself?

My family moved to Lexington when I was in 2^nd grade (Harrington) and graduated from LHS in 2008.  Went on to Boston University and graduated in 2012 in International Relations.  I have had diverse work experiences that has shaped my thinking all the way from working to empower women in fishing villages through micro-enterprise development - to working with the accused and legally unrepresented in Calcutta and writing their stories.  I have spoken at many international conferences in Egypt, Sweden, India, Panama and Mexico on youth employment and leadership, that led to my being invited by UN’s ILO as a youth Catalyst for their Decent Work for Youth Agenda (DY4Y)  in Geneva, and we are producing a book on Decent Work.  And by working at YouthTrade, an organization that provides young entrepreneurs access to premium markets such as Whole Foods Market, I have developed a great sense of responsibility and dedication to the communities I hold close to my heart.

The Selectman position is for three years and totally voluntary? How would you balance the duties of the job with your career?

My drive and energy will serve me well as I intend to plunge myself right in and work hard.  I have a deep desire to learn. In college I learned how to stretch myself and yet perform well –  I was a full time student and Captain of my dance team Jalwa – so I learned to organize myself and multi task.  Last year those skill-sets were tested, while working full time at YouthTrade – I also campaigned for Ed Markey, and later was the Campaign Manager for Leland Chung for City Councilor in Cambridge.

Share with us all the organizations, groups or key folks that have supported your campaign?

It has been a long campaign, but we are grateful that many supporters have come to help and volunteer their efforts. Town Meeting Member Narain Bhatia, former School Committee Member Ravi Sakhuja, Harvard Magazine Editor John Rosenberg, Democratic Town Committee member Jim Shaw, amongst others have all come out supporting me through endorsements, helping me refine my messaging, and spreading the word. The two other people who have been a great help are Amit Dixit, Executive Director South Asian Arts Council and Upendra Mishra, Editor India New England News. Finally, it goes without saying that without the support of my family and girlfriend Monica Gill  it would be much tougher to knock doors during the cold nights, stay up late making edits, or prepare for candidate forums!

If elected, what will be your major priorities in the town and how would you go achieving those goals?

My first priority will be to figure out a way to responsibly fund either renovating or creating a new space for the Fire and Police Stations, both of which are in dire need of repair. I think the optimal choice would be to find a property to create a joint Public Safety building. The other issue that needs to be tackled immediately is how to make the great tools provided by our government accessible to everyone, regardless of language or understanding. I will work with volunteers to engage with our diverse communities to begin translating the resources available from the town to make them more accessible.

Finally how would you like the readers and the community to support you in this campaign?

|