To the Editor:
WHAT
A community built upon the COMMON goal of moving forward to benefit ALL residents
WHY
As a member of the Board of Finance, I experienced difficult budget hearings year after year. Similarly, during my tenure on the Board of Education budgets were challenging to ensure necessary funding for our schools, students, parents, and families to achieve high quality education (currently 17th in the state high school rankings). Vital to our future, we must continue our attractiveness AND affordability of East Lyme.
I have heard many say we need to simply move budget allocations from schools to seniors to balance our services. I believe this is short-sighted. Perhaps instead, we take a new approach? I encourage us to create “One East Lyme”.
HOW
1. Municipal and schools collaborate for the most effective and efficient use of our limited resources to enhance the lives of ALL our residents; no matter their village (Niantic, Flanders), section of budget (Town, Schools), nor age (senior, family, youth). Cooperation between all East Lyme departments ensures optimization of licensing agreements, decreases duplication of services, and rational budgets.
2. Advocate fund expenditures which benefit MULTIPLE sectors of our population. Schools may provide increased services for our town beyond just our children. Lifelong education available to residents, and public volunteer inclusion within the curriculum to benefit all ends of the age spectrum.
Currently exemplifying this are our intergenerational poetry, Mentor/Mentee, Pathways, Senior Center and Youth, Family, and Human Services. Let’s explore and expand these concepts more fully and implement participation of seniors, youth and others who may want to give back and strengthen our town.
3. Hop-On Hop-Off Shuttle Transportation between Niantic and Flanders, providing opportunities for cross-village collaboration, events, and programs that spark economic development of “One East Lyme”, a united thriving community.
4. Promote, and support, ALL businesses in ALL areas of town-harnessing transportation between the villages, cross-village collaboration, events, and programs that spark economic development and help the entire town thrive.
5. Create an economic development department for current and future business support and diversification.
CHALLENGING?
Yes.
However, we already have many of the tools in place and may either adapt or develop new methods to bring this to reality.
Years ago our “extended family” included to a greater extent grandparents, aunts/uncles, and cousins who augmented our “parenting duties” and frame of reference. Today’s more mobile society with two-working parents families have diminished the role and benefits of these others in our lives.
It does indeed take a village to raise a child, and I say this works both ways. Villages also need to take care of our elders, whose experiences impact all of us.
Please join me and help create “One East Lyme”.
Build a STRONG STEEL FOUNDATION
VOTE RICHARD STEEL FOR BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Look at the bottom of your ballot
Richard (Rich) Steel
East Lyme, CT
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Richard Steel is longtime resident and registered Democrat running as an unaffiliated candidate for the East Lyme Board of Selectmen