Stephan Roundtree, an incumbent member of the Planning Board, outlined a re-election platform centered on environmental stewardship and the creation of new municipal revenue streams to alleviate the burden on local taxpayers. Speaking from Pearl Island in the South Pacific, Roundtree emphasized that his primary motivation for seeking another term is to ensure the community can survive and flourish through more proactive land and resource management.

A central tenet of Roundtree’s proposal involves transitioning the town’s land use from passive conservation to active revenue generation. He specifically pointed to the town’s wooded areas as an untapped financial resource that currently presents a safety risk. We do not have a forestry plan that demonstrates a viable revenue stream, Roundtree said, noting that forest floors are currently primed for great fires due to dead trees. He argued that a managed forestry plan could simultaneously provide revenue and reduce fire hazards, moving away from a model where the town relies almost exclusively on tax collection. The town needs to understand that we are incorporated and not everything we do needs to go to taxpayers to collect money, he added.

Roundtree, who chaired and authored the town’s Master Plan, also focused heavily on water quality and its impact on the local economy. Having recently been involved in the board’s work regarding Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and large-scale developments at Corporate Park, Roundtree linked environmental protection directly to tourism and property values. He noted that while the town maintains a conservation budget, it must do more to protect its ponds. If we manage our waters better, we bring more tourism and people to come use clean, fresh water, he said, asserting that better protection of the town's natural resources would ultimately reduce long-term costs for residents.

Beyond fiscal and environmental policy, Roundtree touched on the social fabric of Pembroke, citing the new community center as a vital goal for bringing neighbors together. He urged residents to move beyond passive observation and become active participants in local government, stating that time from our citizens is what's going to make our community better. Roundtree concluded his statement by reiterating his commitment to giving back to the town through his continued service on the Planning Board and his ongoing involvement with the Master Plan implementation.