Personal Information: Richard Recht, 68, principal, Richard Recht and Associates, a human resources consulting firm. Prior employment was as human resource manager with Eaton Corporation in Bethel, James River Corporation, and American Can Company. I am also the owner and operator of Longview Christmas Tree Farm on our property. I have an MBA from the Baruch School of City College of New York and a BS in industrial management from Fairleigh Dickenson University, Teaneck, N.J. My family and I have lived in Newtown for 27 years. Our three children are all graduates of Newtown school system.

What personal qualities do you have that you believe will benefit the Legislative Council and the community it serves? Based on my business education and extensive management and communications experience, I believe my ability to use the teaming concept to address problems will enable the council to reach decisions that will be the best for our town and will assure taxpayers that we are upholding their interests in council deliberations. I place a high priority on accurate and prompt communications, especially as they relate to keeping taxpayers aware of not only the results of our work but the deliberations that led to our conclusions. We need to work toward demystifying the council’s role in our community.

What do you believe is the council’s biggest challenge over the next two years? The biggest challenge will be to assure taxpayers in each of our districts that the council effectively listens to its constituents, seriously considers their concerns during deliberations, and balances the needs of the individual with the overall needs of the community. Where gaps in this balance exist, taxpayers should have a clear understanding of why they exist.

What can the Legislative Council do to limit the growth of Newtown’s tax rate? I believe the council can help limit the growth of our tax rate by focusing on the value of expenditures and their timing in terms of reasonable taxpayer expectations. This applies not only to the overall town budget but also to individual expenses to improve the town’s infrastructure. We must give priority consideration to the interests and ability of taxpayers to support council decisions, especially during periods of economic decline. Newtown is a community of families, and the council should manage town expenditures in the same prudent manner as taxpayers do their family expenditures.