- Will aim to keep taxes low so that Colchester remains affordable for everyone.
- Will continue to search for innovative and creative ways to provide the same services at a lower cost.
- Will continue to use ARPA funding, new revenue, reserve accounts, and our unassigned fund balance to ease the tax burden on the citizens.
- Will continue to conduct top to bottom reviews of departments to both identify savings and areas to strategically invest in.
- Will continue to utilize and invest in technology that reduces costs while modernizing efficiency across departments.
- Will ensure that bonding payments remain stabilized and avoid fiscal cliffs.
- Enhance social services to help citizens in need.
Views and Vision
My Views & Vision
Affordability
Transparency
- Completely integrate the Government Transparency Software so the public and Board of Finance have complete access to all the numbers in real time.
- Provide the Board of Finance with the impact of contract negotiations months before the budget season begins.
- Will continue to hold all departments accountable on spending plans, numbers provided, and all their revenue streams.
- Will continue to hold elected & appointed officials accountable to our citizens.
- Will continue to use eDiscovery to ensure that all FOI able information is made available to the public and nothing is withheld.
Economic Development
- Will continue to work with prospective businesses to bring them to Town.
- Will oversee the completion of the Lebanon Avenue Streetscape Revitalization.
- Invest in Green Energy Initiatives.
- Investigate the privatization of the Town’s water systems.
- Continue to increase funds set aside for Open Space acquisitions that reduce the overall tax burden.
- Will continue to make infrastructure improvements in public spaces:
- Investment in our roads and bridges.
- Begin the expansion in the operational quarters of the Police Department.
- Oversee the construction of the Town Hall Roof, modernize Town Hall’s HVAC, and refurbish the Water Towers.
- Reinstitute the facilities maintainer position.
- Review zoning regulations to ensure they put citizens and small businesses before the government.
- Explore career pathways with our local schools, including partnerships with the Fire Department, Police Department, and Public Works Department.
- Establish a town-wide salary survey, with bi-partisan support, to ensure Colchester remains competitive and maintains staffing.
Tradition
- Continue to honor Memorial Day and Celebrate Colchester (previously called 57th Fest).
- Continue to honor holidays and traditions associated with them.
- Continue to preserve our Historical Buildings and Monuments.
- Continue our Fields of Dreams program so that our children have excellent Parks & Recreational facilities available to them.
- Oversee the completion of the Senior Center.
- Establish a new location for the Youth Center/Community Center
- Explore establishing a permanent community Ice Skating Rink
- Transition of the current Youth Center as the new museum and center for our Veterans.
- Begin the remediation of Norton Park and work towards its overall completion.
- Expand parking at R8 (Recreational Fields)
- Collaborate with the library to preserve historical documents.
Charter Revision
- Establish term limits for all elected boards and appointed boards, including that of the First Selectman.
- The Town Clerk and the Tax Collector positions should become appointed positions, not elected. There has been a historical track record of corruption in those offices who answer only to the voters and only once every four years.
- Re-establish the Board of Finance’s power which was accidentally removed through the last Charter Revision (We are currently under a Memorandum of Understanding that keeps the Board’s
prior responsibilities intact).
