To The Editor:

Of the eight candidates running for Board of Finance this year, there is no one more experienced than Jim Gaston, and it is my pleasure to write in support of him.

Jim has long been a household name in Newtown. He has been involved in town government for two decades. For four years he was on the Board of Selectmen, but relevant to this election is his experience on the Board of Finance. He has been Chair or Vice-Chair of the Board of Finance for 16 years and has helped Newtown navigate plenty of challenging budget years.

We do have challenges ahead. As we saw this year, revenues from the state to the town and school district decreased, and our health insurance costs increased dramatically. This put the town in a difficult situation with the budget. Jim was instrumental in helping the Board of Finance recommend a budget to the Legislative Council that found efficiencies but also ensured that most of our services could be retained. That took a lot of work by the Board of Finance and Jim led the way.

Jim is who I want making decisions about how our tax money is spent. Like he does in his law practice, Jim researches every available option before he proposes an idea. He puts facts first and isn’t afraid to make a difficult decision if he knows it is in the best interests of Newtown.

Please vote for Jim on November 4.

Kathleen Gardner

Newtown