By Jeffrey J. Segarra

The town of Medway has seen an amazing revitalization these past fifteen years. Dennis Crowley has seen it all and has been actively involved in this incredible transformation as a Medway Select Board member. For those who have not been in Medway that long, or may not remember, in 2006 the town was on the brink of bankruptcy.  Medway was fast running out of money in reserves and had debt of approximately 2.3 million dollars.  The State of Massachusetts stepped in with a 10-year, secure loan of 2 million dollars. Mr. Crowley had just retired as an experienced business owner. As a skilled financial manager, he felt he needed to get involved to help the town and his neighbors, so he ran for Select Board. After winning the election, Mr. Crowley worked closely with other Select Board members, and the Town Administrator at the time, Susan Kennedy, to help engineer a comeback plan. Within 8 years the Town of Medway paid off the state loan and developed a current General Reserve fund of over 3.6 million dollars.

Once the town was fiscally sound Mr. Crowley turned his attention to improving the lives of people in the community.  In 2014, Dennis and fellow Select Board members selected our current Town Manager, Michael Boynton. Seven years later, Dennis is proud of the outstanding team that works every day on behalf of the Medway residents and businesses. 

Knowing how to manage projects and negotiate with stakeholders, Mr. Crowley has prioritized and helped shepherd a long list of exciting and beneficial improvements. These improvements included recreation facilities and venues like three new turf fields which are available for use by the community through the Medway Parks and Recreation website and the Thayer House Facility available to be booked for events like birthdays and weddings. The renovation of Choate and Oakland Park included a children’s splash pad that was argued as excessive by some but advocated and advanced by Mr. Crowley. The summer sounds of children’s laughter and splashing in the water were well worth the extra effort. Another great project was the establishment of the Medway Community Farm where residents are encouraged to buy local and eat healthy. These improvements not only attract people to come live in Medway, but they also attract customers for Medway’s businesses keeping Medway strong and vital.

Mr. Crowley also recognized the need for town infrastructure projects to enhance the access, safety, and looks of the town. This realization kicked off a flurry of activity by the Select Board to enable projects for the reconstruction of the roads, sidewalks, and lights of Route 109, the main thoroughfare through town. In addition, the town constructed a new 13-million-dollar DPW facility without requiring a tax override. This new facility supports the equipment and workers of the town charged with keeping all roads, parks, and infrastructure clear, neat, and working properly. Mr. Crowley has supported Medway schools in numerous ways including facility and technology upgrades to better serve students, parents, and teachers. Mr. Crowley continues to find ways to finance and support these projects without negatively impacting the financial health of the town or burden taxpayers with excessive taxes. He also negotiated the return of $500,000 to taxpayers from the Exelon project through yearly tax relief and achieved 10% affordable housing status.

Mr. Crowley actively invests his time and personal resources in the community. In addition to being a member of the Medway Lion's Club, contributing to local charities and community groups, he was also the co-founder of the Muffin House Cafe, providing local jobs and a favorite gathering spot for Medway residents. Mr. Crowley continues to look to the future and has a wide range of initiatives he would like to see developed to continue to improve the town, increase property values and attract business.  Mr. Crowley is again running to be a member of the Select Board on May 18th.