NewCanaanite.com recently received the following letter(s) of endorsement. We will publish endorsement letters from New Canaan residents through Oct. 24. Please send them to editor@newcanaanite.com.
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Dear Editor,
New Canaan voters have a real choice this year. Our community can gain from a change in leadership. The New Canaan Democrats Democratic offer a slate of candidates comprised of individuals who are highly qualified, highly informed, and highly motivated to serve our town.
Take Amy Murphy Carroll who is running for First Selectman. A 27-year town resident, Amy and her family understand the New Canaan community and appreciate its public schools. Just this summer Amy retired from a career in municipal finance on Wall Street, where it was her job to analyze the financial strength and capabilities of towns and states across the country. Moreover, she has deep knowledge of New Canaan’s finances having served for 10 years on the Board of Finance and other committees, including the Saxe Middle School Renovation Committee and the Police Building Committee. With her professional background, Amy is ready to shepherd our Town budget on the very first day in office. She knows our town government and is committed to tackling the issues facing our town. New Canaanites can feel peace of mind electing Amy to the role of First Selectman, because she is committed to making sure that all parties are involved in decisions. Her advocacy for a more open process will benefit our town and its taxpayers.
After nearly a century of Republican control of the town government, it is time for real change in New Canaan. Our town’s current leaders have ignored problems and mismanaged some projects, occasionally resulting in substantial increases in costs. Our community would greatly benefit from new leadership in the First Selectman role. Vote for a candidate who values an open decision making process and seeks to include new voices in important decisions. Vote for Amy for First.
Sincerely,
Christina Fagerstal
Chair, New Canaan DTC
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The pendulum has swung. After years punctuated by rancor and dysfunction, our new Board of Selectmen will be comprised of three paragons of civility and collaboration: Dionna Carlson, Steve Karl and Amy Murphy Carroll. Among them they possess all the skills and experience needed to protect what we love most about New Canaan. All we need to decide on November 7th is which impressive woman (Steve’s not running for First Selectman) should lead the team.
I think the answer is Dionna Carlson. For the three years she chaired the Board of Education, the Town’s most precious asset was in very good hands. She was thoughtful, gracious, dignified, businesslike and always, always well prepared. She was strong enough to build a governing consensus, yet sensitive enough to know when not all voices had been heard. At community coffees she fielded questions–often difficult ones–almost every week. She showed her command of virtually every issue affecting the schools, including the complexities of the BOE budget which makes up two-thirds of the Town’s expenses.
The First Selectman sets the cultural tone of the Town, and Dionna will set a tone we’ll be proud of. I knew that when I first saw her in action seven years ago, and I’m convinced of it still.
Tom Butterworth
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New Canaan Democrats are offering voters a real choice for the Board of Education. Our candidates Brendan Hayes, Lauren Connolly Nussbaum, and Josh Kaye, all parents of children in the New Canaan Public Schools, have set their top priority as putting kids first.
In contrast with mere platitudes expressed by their opponents, Brendan, Lauren, and Josh offer the voters a substantive choice of experienced and committed individuals. These candidates are prepared to face the real issues facing our schools in the coming years, including an enrollment boom, innovation for the twenty-first century, caring for the whole child, and maintaining parent communication and engagement. They are dedicated to preserving the quality of our top-ranked schools and ensuring that our students will succeed in college and whatever course they pursue in life. Republicans hold a disproportionately high share of the seats on New Canaan’s Board of Education, and it is time to change that imbalance.
Our town would greatly benefit from the voices of Brendan, Lauren and Josh on our Board of Education.
Richard Lurie
Secretary, New Canaan DTC
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Editor:
True leadership in governing requires unique attributes which I have witnessed in Amy Murphy Carroll, candidate for First Selectwoman in New Canaan. Amy is analytical, inquisitive and supportive when it comes to evaluating the Town’s annual operating budget and long-term capital planning projects. Importantly, Amy has worked closely with every aspect of our Town’s operational resources and will steadfastly maintain her commitment to inclusivity, transparency and engagement across our broad community.
While Amy and I do not share the same political party affiliation, I have worked with her as a colleague on the Board of Finance for nearly 10 years and I admire her intelligence and work ethic in the many projects and policy developments in which she has been actively involved.
Above all, Amy puts the taxpayer and our community first! Please join me in voting for Amy Murphy Carroll for First Selectwoman on November 7th.
Respectfully,
Neil Budnick
Board of Finance Member (2007-2022)
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I write as a fellow East School parent to endorse Josh Kaye for the Board of Education.
Like many New Cannanites, we moved to New Canaan in no small part because of the reputation of its schools. Our experience has been that this reputation matches reality.
Josh embodies the kind of confident, principled, and composed leadership that our town needs to support our administrators and teachers to continue their good work. Josh understands the value of collaboration, and I know that he will work effectively and thoughtfully with other members of the Board of Education in support of this mission.
I know this because I know that Josh puts his kids first, and he is running for the Board of Education because he wants to be in a position to put all of our kids first. As an attorney who spent many years litigating high profile matters, Josh is uniquely skilled at identifying strategies to bring various – or even conflicting – viewpoints together to achieve consensus. That talent, combined with Josh’s focus on supporting our teachers and administrators to do the best they can for our students, positions Josh to be an asset to the Board of Education, our schools, and all of New Canaan.
Sincerely,
Adam Wexler