Meet Ann DeBarros

Dedicated to Our Community's Future.

My name is Ann Theresa DeBarros and I would be honored to be your Mayor of Gardner, Massachusetts. I am the eldest of six children, the mother of three and a grandmother to six beautifull grandchildren, two Brazilian grandson's, three African American granddaughters and one Dominican granddaughter. My husband is Cape Verdean, a Disabled Veteran and Freemason and as you can see, my family is very diverse. I am a Special Education Teacher and believe in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. We are all unique, special in our own way and can contribute to our society as a whole to make our Community a better place for all generations to come. I come from a family of politicians, my grandfather, the first Veteran Administrator in his City for many years. My Godmother/Aunt served many Terms as a City Counselor. I was brought up to believe that we all had a voice, one that could express our political beliefs in casual conversation, respecting the opinions of others while remaining family and friends. Our Cities, Towns, State and Goverment have lost one of the most important attributes we have to offer and that is respect. My hope is to earn your respect and in turn, hopefully gain respect back for one another, which in turn will build respect in our communities so we can work together to make Gardner a place that is modeled for all. I consider myself the people's choice. I understand your daily needs and struggles, I live them too. Full transparency, we struggle as a family, my husband and I have three generations living together in one household trying to make ends meet. The weekly monopoly game of paying bills, trying to figure out which is the most important to pay when they are due at the same time. As homeowners, we are usually behind on our water bill. I have elderly family members living on fixed incomes but have no tax discounts or incentives to relieve their stress or worry. Often finding it hard to remain in the homes they worked so hard for all their lives. I moved to Gardner in 2016, for affordability reasons, wanting to reach the American Dream of owning a home. I now truly call Gardner my home, not because of affordability but because of the Community, residences, beauty and its potential. I believe in what we are and what we can become. Yes there is work to do, lowering taxes, revitalizing the downtown, fixing our streets and parks, entertainment for our teens and elders, support for our Veterans, Teachers, Police, Fire and Municipality. The Town's money is your money and I want to make it work for you. I promise to not raise my salary during my first Term in Office. Our money needs to be applied to getting the work of this town done and I promise to make that happen for all of us. We are in this together and I will not let you down.