Current Issues and Thoughts
March 21, 2006

My first selectmen’s meeting is Monday, March 27. It should be exciting! Here are some things that will come up at the meeting, and my views and positions. Please call me or email me if you have any thoughts!

• Chairman – The selectmen will elect a chairman to serve for the coming year. I plan to support Gary Daniels if Gary wants the position. Gary was chairman last year, and I think there is a benefit to experience and continuity. I met with Gary over the weekend and discussed the organization and operation of the board of selectmen. We agree on the key point that for the coming year the selectmen should be more of a “policy board”, with more focus on the big issues.
  
  
• Vice Chairman – I plan to support Larry Pickett if Larry wants the position. Larry works hard as a selectman and he is very effective. I think Larry’s beliefs and views reflect those of the majority of Milford voters.
  
  
• Planning Board – The selectmen will appoint a regular “selectmen’s representative” and an alternate “selectmen’s representative” to the Planning Board. Next to the selectmen, the Planning Board is the most important town government body. The Planning Board prepares the town’s land use policies and regulations, and also makes decisions on specific subdivisions and commercial projects. My campaign platform emphasized the need to bring fresh, new ideas to the planning process, so we can do better at preserving the parts of Milford we love most. The Planning Board is key to this process. I believe I have the right ideas and qualifications to be effective as “selectmen’s representative” on the Planning Board, and I hope to be considered by the selectmen for this position.
  
  
• Holding Line on Taxes – The selectmen will discuss the board’s “mission statement” for the coming year. I believe Milford voters sent a clear message on March 14 – the town needs to live within its means, and taxes should not increase faster than incomes. This is a very important belief of the majority of voters, and I would like to see it included in the selectmen’s mission statement. I plan to propose an addition to the mission statement to confirm the selectmen’s intention to manage the town so that “any tax increases are kept in line with increases in taxpayers’ own incomes.” This proposal may create a lively discussion. It will be interesting to see how the other selectmen vote on this proposal – it is sort of a “test” for how much importance the selectmen give to holding the line on taxes.