To the Editor,

My name is Charlie Gardner, and I’m pleased to announce that I am running for Legislative Council in Newtown’s District 2.

My wife Kathy and I have been proud to call Newtown home for the past five years and love raising our four boys in this community. Our two oldest have just started a new year at Sandy Hook Elementary School, while our two younger boys attend the wonderful Merryhill Child Care Center on Queen Street. This is where they will grow up, and it’s for them and their future, for our neighbors and for this entire community that I’m seeking your support for a position on the Council.

The things that we love about the town, from our outstanding schools and teachers to our beautiful parks and trails, require prudent management and sound stewardship. While we all appreciate what Newtown offers, I am also aware from my experience on our Board of Assessment Appeals that many of our friends and neighbors struggle with the high cost of living and that every dollar counts.

For these reasons, the Legislative Council is entrusted with finding the right balance between competing concerns and delivering the greatest possible value for residents, whether it involves funding our schools or maintaining our roads. My aspiration, as both a candidate and as a parent, is to ensure that Newtown not only sustains the quality of life that we all enjoy, but builds on its strengths over the long term.

Thank you and I hope you will support me on November 2.

Charlie Gardner

Newtown