My wife, Diana, and I moved to Myrtle Street back in 1989, and have called Westbrook our home ever since. As our family grew and needed more space, we never thought of leaving this city because it was our home. We moved to Crestwood Drive in 2000 and continued to dig our roots even deeper.
Westbrook is the only home our children have ever known. Our oldest son, Matthew, graduated from Westbrook High School last year and is studying at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. Our daughter, Kathryn, is a first-year student at the high school, and our youngest, Gregory, is a fifth-grader at Congin school.
Several years ago, I convinced my business partner to move our offices to Westbrook, so now my business calls Westbrook home, too. Diane and I even convinced another Van Buren boy, my younger brother Paul, to call Westbrook home.
Many of you know me from the many different roles I’ve played in Westbrook: Planning board; Zoning Board of Appeals; city council; council president; president, Metro board; Westbrook-Gorham Rotary Club (including overseeing the Westbrook Vocational Housing Project for eight years); Westbrook Education Foundation; Westbrook SEALS; Boy Scouts; coaching; Prides Corner Church; the citizens’ recycling committee; the re-use committee for the junior high school; and many more. Many of you also know I ran for mayor two years ago.
This race isn’t about any of that. This race is about my home. Our home.
I learned a lot while representing Westbrook as an elected official, but I think I learned even more the past two years as a citizen. I’ve listened to my neighbors’ frustrations with City Hall. I’ve watched as Westbrook has lost some of the momentum it had. I’ve heard people’s demands for a clear, positive vision for Westbrook and for a leader who is willing to try things, take risks and accept responsibility rather than avoid decisions and look for others to blame.
This is why I’m running for mayor.
There’s no question taxes are too high. How do we address this? Revaluation wasn’t the answer. In supporting revaluation, the mayor promised that a third of the taxpayers’ taxes would decrease, a third would increase and a third would stay the same. My taxes increased. Almost everyone’s taxes increased. As a financial planner, I know the importance of being straight with people about their money.
The best way to lower taxes on homeowners is to recapture the momentum we once had on economic development. We need to convince more business owners to bring their businesses to Westbrook, like I did.
If elected, I will develop a marketing campaign designed around the saying “Come to Westbrook and Call it Home.” We have a good story to tell. We need to do a better job of telling it. If we do, other businesses will come to our downtown and to other development areas. Once here, they will stay and call Westbrook home.
Finally, I want to thank the Junior High Building Committee for the hundreds if not thousands of hours that they have given to studying and analyzing the need for a new middle school. Rene Daniels and John O’Hara as co-chairs, along with the dozen or so members of that committee, have done a tremendous job in providing the taxpayers a detailed analysis on what our needs were and what solutions best meet the needs of the city. This, however, leaves us with another dilemma. What to do with the existing junior high?
Al Juniewicz and I co-chair the citizens’ committee analyzing how the existing junior high can best be used. Many needs could be addressed, including a senior citizen center, public meeting facilities and a permanent home for the food pantry.
We can also enhance our recreation facilities by bringing the recreation department to that facility and increase the number of programs offered for all the taxpayers of the city. The committee is just starting to analyze all options. If you have any ideas, please feel free to contact me or join the committee.
Your friendship and support over the years, the past two in particular, have reminded me why I am so honored to call Westbrook home. Together we can do great things.
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