To The Editor:

My name is Amybeth LaRoche, and I am honored to be running for the Newtown Board of Finance. I am a proud mom raising my daughter here in Newtown, an author, a contracts manager, and someone who believes deeply in accountability and service to the community. Coming from a proud military family, I carry the values of sacrifice, discipline, and responsibility into everything I do.

Everywhere I go in Newtown, I hear the same concern: affordability. Property taxes have climbed year after year, while families are stretched thinner than ever. Seniors are worried about staying in the homes they built, and young people are unsure if they can afford to start their lives here.

The facts tell the story. Over the last 15 years, Newtown’s affordability challenges have only deepened. During that time, the Board of Finance has shifted in makeup from a Republican majority in 2015 to an even split in 2023. Yet despite these changes, the outcome has remained the same: taxes continue to rise, and families continue to struggle. This is not about fault but about recognizing that if we want a different result, we need new ideas and a renewed focus on accountability, transparency, and affordability.

Newtown demands transparency, and it is needed now. The data is public, and voters deserve to look closely at who has been sitting at the table and what results they have delivered. The numbers do not lie.

The question is simple: can we continue down the same path, expecting a different outcome? Or do we need new leadership that will finally say 2 + 2 equals 4, not 18?

I have spent my career managing multi-billion-dollar defense contracts where every detail mattered and waste had real life consequences. That experience taught me how to cut through complexity, dig into the data, and hold people accountable. This is exactly what Newtown needs right now.

Sometimes leadership means doing the hardest thing, the thing no one else is willing to do. That is where real change and real rewards are found. I promise to bring that grit, courage, and accountability to the Board of Finance. Together, we can build a stronger, more affordable Newtown where every generation, seniors, families, and young people, can thrive.

Amybeth LaRoche

Candidate, Newtown Board of Finance