CANDIDATE COMMENTARY: Experience, dedication and effective leadership

What an honor and pleasure it has been serving as your first selectman. I am profoundly grateful for the community’s support these past two years.

When I was elected, our long-standing zoning regulations were threatened by a high-density housing project on South Park Avenue. Five months later, we came together as a town and approved a complicated but effective solution: lease/sale to a prayer center that is currently on track.

Taxes had been on the rise for 35 years, increasing on average 5.7% a year. Together, we have arrested that rise. During my term, taxes increased only 1.65% a year on average, less than any other town in Fairfield County.

With bipartisan cooperation and support, we met the needs of seniors, opening the new senior center (funded by state grants) and passing a tax relief ordinance that is a model in the state.

Education is Easton’s most cherished town service. After a failed budget referendum last spring, we conducted a ballot analysis that demonstrated 36% of voters consider education their highest priority. We successfully used that information to build consensus on the Board of Finance, increasing the education budget.

The next two years will see many challenges. We face another affordable housing threat at Saddle Ridge; the pressing need to contain taxes; the mandate to fund excellent schools and essential town services.

Rest assured that you can count on my experience, dedication and effective leadership to meet all of these challenges. I respectfully ask for your vote on Nov. 3, so that we will continue to make great strides together for Easton.

Thomas Herrmann, a Republican, is seeking reelection as first selectman.