To the editor,
Political parties serve limited purpose in municipal government, and when it comes to elections the most important criteria a voter should look for is experience and knowledge of the role.
The municipal government is given funds to do one thing: administer the services of the town. We do not redistribute wealth and we do not maintain a standing army. There are no plans to invade Seymour. Whatever positions you may have on these matters on a state or federal level should not play a role in who you give your vote to in November. The question you need to ask yourself is simple: will this person spend my tax money wisely and work to reduce what they need in the future?
When parties recognize that the individual currently in the position is doing a good job, they often decide not to run a candidate against that person, and that is the case on both sides this election. The Republicans have no candidate for the tax collector and the Democrats have no one running for town clerk. That is the system working correctly: town over politics.
However, that is not the case for all slots on the ballot this November, so voters should inform themselves on the qualifications of the candidates before casting their vote. These positions are not leadership roles that set policy, they are “doer” roles.
I’m always impressed with small business owners who take on all the risks associated with running a company, and there are many of in town, with many others that work for small businesses. Would they risk their company by putting someone unqualified to handle their books, making the many day to day decisions that affect their bottom line? They should feel the same way about the people they vote for in November, because the lesson of the last budget debate is very simple: we cannot afford any mismanagement of the town. We are only now getting above water on the problems caused by the last person in a position for which they were not qualified.
Please take the time to know the people running for office and their qualifications. The budget passed by two votes, so obviously yours counts.
Jim Huk
Beacon Falls
The writer is a member of the Board of Finance and a Democratic candidate for Region 16 Board of Education.
