In Their Own Words - The Candidates for First Selectman
Thursday, November 01, 2007
SuzySaid offered each of the candidates for First Selectman a chance to tell our readers about their candidacy and plan for the future of our fair town. Remember to vote on November 6th!
KEN FLATTO - DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE
Hi, it is a pleasure to write and offer thoughts about our record and goals we have set for Fairfield. We are all very fortunate to live in such a wonderful town and we intend to keep Fairfield a most special place to raise a family, while enjoying good health and safe peaceful neighborhoods. A few months ago, as part of my platform, I unveiled Fairfield Neighborhood Preservation Principles describing ways we can best protect our town's character. Fairfield neighborhoods are entitled to the best in town public safety operations and with the emergency response enhancements we have put in place, Fairfield was ranked 5th safest community in the nation by CNN/Money magazine.
One of my major priorities has been open spaces preservation and parks improvements to enhance quality of life. In addition, we have highly valued historic community landmarks and just opened the new History Center with a town lease I negotiated. I am working to protect town neighborhoods from overdevelopment and have opposed various condo and subdivision plans that would overbuild. We have sought to improve the residential character of town by protection of trees and preservation of stone walls. I have consistently opposed encroachment of commercial/retail zones in residential zones.
At the same time, my Administration has successfully completed the largest and most comprehensive upgrade of schools in town in 50 years. Our beautiful schools are in the best cleanest safest shape ever, with some of the strongest education programs in the state. We helped accomplish this by getting budgets approved unanimously at reasonable levels to provide the quality services all of our children deserve. Educational excellence is near and dear to my heart.
I started my volunteer service in Fairfield in the early 1990's as a PTA activist and as founder of a parent education group, known as 'PAGE', over a decade ago. My family and I are fully committed to sustaining quality children's programs throughout town. Our four children have greatly benefited from all the wonderful activities in school and around town. Recreation programs have improved so much since I spearheaded the new recreation center on Mill Plain road. I have sought to find a way to seek a community pool, with not-for-profit funding, though my original plan to help the YMCA did not make it. Hopefully a coalition can accomplish this goal if we can find a location that does not disrupt any neighborhood over the next few years. I am also working with the Police Athletic League to help them to create a teen center by 2010.
There is a lot we hope to accomplish in a new term. Thank you for considering support for the entire Flatto team on Election Day. We will continue to do the best we can for you and your family. I wish you a happy Halloween and enjoyable remainder of Autumn. If you even need anything, my door is always open and I am a phone call away!
Yours truly,
Ken Flatto
First Selectman
JOHN NELSON - REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE
Fairfield can and will be the premier town along the Connecticut coast. For too long band-aid solutions have been tried to solve our town's problems, but that simply isn't the way it should be done. You deserve, affordable, long lasting solutions - solutions we will find together. With its open spaces, public beaches, historic-districts, economic, cultural and generational diversity, remarkable educational opportunities as well as enterprising citizens, businesses and institutions - we are an exceptionally resourceful town that can be all that its people want it to be.
I have over 25 years of leadership, planning and management experience. As the challenges of Fairfield become more complex we must look towards creative leadership-based solutions and long-range plans. As a Major in the Marine Corps I planned and conducted missions of national significance rooted in public safety and security, sharpening my ability to lead with decisiveness and accountability. As a financial consultant I build better futures for young families and retirees - managing goals and dreams through long-term disciplined planning.
Maintaining Fairfield as a town and not a city requires budgets that recognize the needs of growing families and the contributions of our seniors. Over the past six years $200 million has been spent on schools, over 300 children are in portables, many buildings are in disrepair, taxes have increased 51% and losing control of commercial development has increased pressure on infrastructure and traffic. In the years ahead, we face increasingly important challenges and opportunities that require a comprehensive, long-term plan and the inspired leadership to implement that plan. To do this we need to peer around the corner and into the future - we need a clear vision of where we want to go and what we want to accomplish. Without a change in course over the next four years these challenges will only be magnified.
Now is the time to listen, learn and plan for the future of Fairfield. During my first 100 days in office I will lead a series of public workshops dedicated to the issues Fairfield will face in the next two decades, we will define our common goals and figure out the best way to achieve them. This process will provide, the basis for, policies to guide future decision making and create confidence in your leadership. I will also immediately begin working with PTA's and the Board of Education to implement my five-year plan to get our kids out of portables and into classrooms. I will simplify and expand Fairfield's senior tax relief program, this program can be better and I will make it easier to understand and administer to make sure we help the most seniors possible. I will engage corporations and universities to utilize technology and ideas to enhance and invigorate Fairfield.
KEN FLATTO - DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE
Hi, it is a pleasure to write and offer thoughts about our record and goals we have set for Fairfield. We are all very fortunate to live in such a wonderful town and we intend to keep Fairfield a most special place to raise a family, while enjoying good health and safe peaceful neighborhoods. A few months ago, as part of my platform, I unveiled Fairfield Neighborhood Preservation Principles describing ways we can best protect our town's character. Fairfield neighborhoods are entitled to the best in town public safety operations and with the emergency response enhancements we have put in place, Fairfield was ranked 5th safest community in the nation by CNN/Money magazine.
One of my major priorities has been open spaces preservation and parks improvements to enhance quality of life. In addition, we have highly valued historic community landmarks and just opened the new History Center with a town lease I negotiated. I am working to protect town neighborhoods from overdevelopment and have opposed various condo and subdivision plans that would overbuild. We have sought to improve the residential character of town by protection of trees and preservation of stone walls. I have consistently opposed encroachment of commercial/retail zones in residential zones.
At the same time, my Administration has successfully completed the largest and most comprehensive upgrade of schools in town in 50 years. Our beautiful schools are in the best cleanest safest shape ever, with some of the strongest education programs in the state. We helped accomplish this by getting budgets approved unanimously at reasonable levels to provide the quality services all of our children deserve. Educational excellence is near and dear to my heart.
I started my volunteer service in Fairfield in the early 1990's as a PTA activist and as founder of a parent education group, known as 'PAGE', over a decade ago. My family and I are fully committed to sustaining quality children's programs throughout town. Our four children have greatly benefited from all the wonderful activities in school and around town. Recreation programs have improved so much since I spearheaded the new recreation center on Mill Plain road. I have sought to find a way to seek a community pool, with not-for-profit funding, though my original plan to help the YMCA did not make it. Hopefully a coalition can accomplish this goal if we can find a location that does not disrupt any neighborhood over the next few years. I am also working with the Police Athletic League to help them to create a teen center by 2010.
There is a lot we hope to accomplish in a new term. Thank you for considering support for the entire Flatto team on Election Day. We will continue to do the best we can for you and your family. I wish you a happy Halloween and enjoyable remainder of Autumn. If you even need anything, my door is always open and I am a phone call away!
Yours truly,
Ken Flatto
First Selectman
JOHN NELSON - REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE
Fairfield can and will be the premier town along the Connecticut coast. For too long band-aid solutions have been tried to solve our town's problems, but that simply isn't the way it should be done. You deserve, affordable, long lasting solutions - solutions we will find together. With its open spaces, public beaches, historic-districts, economic, cultural and generational diversity, remarkable educational opportunities as well as enterprising citizens, businesses and institutions - we are an exceptionally resourceful town that can be all that its people want it to be.
I have over 25 years of leadership, planning and management experience. As the challenges of Fairfield become more complex we must look towards creative leadership-based solutions and long-range plans. As a Major in the Marine Corps I planned and conducted missions of national significance rooted in public safety and security, sharpening my ability to lead with decisiveness and accountability. As a financial consultant I build better futures for young families and retirees - managing goals and dreams through long-term disciplined planning.
Maintaining Fairfield as a town and not a city requires budgets that recognize the needs of growing families and the contributions of our seniors. Over the past six years $200 million has been spent on schools, over 300 children are in portables, many buildings are in disrepair, taxes have increased 51% and losing control of commercial development has increased pressure on infrastructure and traffic. In the years ahead, we face increasingly important challenges and opportunities that require a comprehensive, long-term plan and the inspired leadership to implement that plan. To do this we need to peer around the corner and into the future - we need a clear vision of where we want to go and what we want to accomplish. Without a change in course over the next four years these challenges will only be magnified.
Now is the time to listen, learn and plan for the future of Fairfield. During my first 100 days in office I will lead a series of public workshops dedicated to the issues Fairfield will face in the next two decades, we will define our common goals and figure out the best way to achieve them. This process will provide, the basis for, policies to guide future decision making and create confidence in your leadership. I will also immediately begin working with PTA's and the Board of Education to implement my five-year plan to get our kids out of portables and into classrooms. I will simplify and expand Fairfield's senior tax relief program, this program can be better and I will make it easier to understand and administer to make sure we help the most seniors possible. I will engage corporations and universities to utilize technology and ideas to enhance and invigorate Fairfield.
