BUILDING A STRONGER TOWN TOGETHER!
THE LEADERSHIP WE NEED FOR DISTRICT 9
FAMILY NEIGHBOR VETERAN PROVEN LEADER
UPCOMING
EVENTS
N/A
UPDATES
8 Nov 2023
The sun is up on a new day! Thank you to the 1800+ voters that came out yesterday
A huge thank you to everyone that made this such a wonderful experience for me; from the thousands that took time to share their stories, the 70+ families that were gracious enough to loan me their yard the last few months for lawn signs, and the hundreds that took a chance and voted for me yesterday!
A special thanks to my close friends and family. I haven't been the dad, brother, son, husband, or friend I should have been the last few months as I poured everything into campaigning, but you guys were all there every step of the way supporting me; thank you!!
Finally, congratulations to our new RTM-9 team! Make us all proud!
6 Nov 2023
We are finally here again, election eve in Fairfield!! As we approach tomorrow, I feel the same excitement I did as a kid on the eve of a big event. I can’t wait to see what the voters decide!
In May 1991, I raised my right hand and took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Enshrined in that document is our fundamental right to vote; to decide who gets the honor of serving us in elected office. “We the people…”; only you can decide who is elected.
You will go to the polls tomorrow and decide who has the character, integrity, leadership, and expertise to serve in the various town bodies. I am excited to see who you choose to lead our town. Two years ago, District 9 had the largest voter turnout; let’s keep that momentum going. I would love to see at least 80% of the registered voters cast a ballot. Local government touches every aspect of our daily lives; please don't let others decide the future of your town for you--come out and vote tomorrow!
Here are the links to the available voter guides if you are still doing your research:
Know Your Reps: https://www.knowyourreps.org/candidates-fairfield
Patch Candidate Guide: https://patch.com/.../fairfield-2023-election-voter-guide...
FBRA Voter Guide for RTM D9: https://fbra.org/district-9-rtm-statements-2023/
FBRA Voter Guide for BOS: https://fbra.org/fairfield-board-of-selectmen-statements.../
I look forward to seeing everyone at Sherman tomorrow!
5 Nov 2023
The sun has set on the last full day of campaigning for the elections on Tuesday. I launched my campaign on the 10th of August and since then I have spent 830 hours and travelled 1,144.2 miles around the district; that's 57 complete laps.
During that time, I have visited the homes of over 3,000 voters. I deeply appreciate all of you that spent time sharing your stories and outlining what is important to you.
I hope all of you had a chance to ask me everything you wanted to know and, in the process, hopefully I was able to earn your vote. I am available all day tomorrow to answer any final questions and I hope to see everyone at the polls on Tuesday!
3 Nov 2023
To read all of my campaign promises and how I will address them as your elected RTM representative, please click here.
1 Nov 2023
This is the third in a series of posts to clearly document my campaign promises and how I will fulfill them. The last post discussed property taxes; this post will discuss schools.
The School budget is 57% of the town budget and the budget document is large; I think few people truly understand it. If we are going to control tax growth while ensuring a great education, we need to carefully review every line of the BOE budget and call out things that are not contributing to the primary education mission of our schools for open discussion.
Part of the issue is how current elected officials in the town bodies deal with proposed BOE budget reductions. Currently they propose reducing the BOE budget growth request without stating precisely where the reduction should occur and why; I find this unacceptable. Current officials hide behind the fact the BOS/BOF/RTM cannot direct where BOE makes the reductions; a point that is irrelevant in my opinion.
If I recommend a reduction, I will specify exactly where I recommend the reduction and why. That forces a transparent dialogue on the genuine issues/concerns. The normal school reaction to these random and undefined reductions is to state they will cut teachers and increase class size, but we need to focus on the real concerns, not let hyperbole cloud the issues. To do this, any reduction must be accompanied by a clear statement of where it should come from and why. Additionally, I will not accept any reduction recommendation from BOS/BOF if they do not clearly articulate where they recommend the reduction and why.
The education our schools provide is the foundation for our future. I will work tirelessly to ensure we produce an efficient budget that funds a great education.
31 Oct 2023
This is the second in a series of posts to clearly document my campaign promises and how I will fulfill them. The last post discussed what I will do to bring about a transparent, responsive, accountable government. This post will discuss property taxes.
After visiting the homes of 3,000+ voters over the last 2.5 months the most universal concern voiced by citizens is the large property tax growth over the last four years; 12.2% on average across District 9.
The RTM is the sole body vested with the authority to approve and appropriate funding for the town budget; a huge responsibility impacting every facet of life in Fairfield. I will bring 12 years of extensive budget experience to the RTM. I have worked on multi-billion-dollar budgets all the way up to the Congressional level in Washington D.C. I understand how the budgeting process should work and how to review, question, and find waste at all levels of budgeting to ensure every cent people are taxed is necessary and is spent efficiently.
Specifically, to address tax growth, I will:
- Work with my fellow RTM members to make our budget review process more rigorous. We need to scrutinize every dollar in the Town budget proposal to ensure all appropriated funding makes Fairfield better. A strong budget review/approval process is key to arresting the large growth in property taxes impacting so many families in D9 while ensuring we do the best possible job at producing a risk-balanced budget to fund the needs of both the Town and our Schools.
- As soon as the budget is released and the BOS has its meeting, I will deep-dive the entire budget and host an in-person meeting with residents where I will outline the budget and my concerns—so you can then give me your feedback; your feedback is how I represent you! I will work the issues you bring to me with BOF prior to their budget meeting; I will not wait until the RTM gets the budget; at that point it is too late to effectively engage the community.
- I will follow and review every line in the budget. If Department heads cannot justify their budget, I will make a motion to cut the funding. I will not tolerate the executive branch dismissing or ignoring requests for information. If they refuse to support a budget line by providing requested data, I will make a motion to remove the funding; if it is not worth defending, they clearly don’t need it.
- I will be feeding you summaries of concerns and issues during the entire budget process; we will do this together!
I believe budget approval is the most important role the RTM has in town government; it will receive my full attention!
30 Oct 2023
We are all familiar with candidates who promise things during the campaign and as soon as they are in office those promises are “forgotten”. We all know that is not acceptable. Since I started campaigning on August 10th, I have talked about a Transparent/Responsive/Accountable government, controlling property tax growth, strengthening our schools, and safe streets for our families.
Over the next few days I will outline all of the things I have said regarding these topics and how I will go about achieving them. Keep this list and hold me accountable!
First, let's discuss a transparent, responsive and accountable government. This is at the heart of why I am running; we need elected officials that serve and represent us, the citizens, not a party or a personal agenda. Here are the things I will do to fulfill this promise:
- I will be the sole independent voice that represents you, not a party. I will work with you to get the answers you deserve.
- Critical to a transparent, responsive, and accountable government is communication! If I am not routinely engaged with you, I cannot represent you. I will use my personal funds and reach out to every home in the district. I will provide bi-weekly emails, quarterly in-person meetings, and I will run an active website and FB page that will be one-stop shopping for information about District 9! You can read more about my communications by clicking here.
-- As part of communication, I will ask you to copy me on emails to the town for issues you need help with so I can advocate on your behalf.
-- You don’t have time to watch the endless hours of town meetings. I will take the complex issues the RTM works on and boil them down to critical bullet points you can easily digest so you can offer feedback as desired. I will always be available to provide more detail to all who want it, but as your elected official I owe you clear, concise, accurate communication.
- Accountability is key to effective government operations. I will use the RTM’s budget power to bring the accountability we deserve. I will not fund failed projects and will not fund personnel that are failing this community. The RTM has considerable power and I intend to use it to ensure every member of District 9 is well and fairly represented.
- On November 8th, I will send an e-mail to the winner of the First Selectman race and request a Stop-Work of any non-fill removal actions at Penfield Pavilion. The Stop-Work needs to remain in effect until:
-- We have the full costs of the project; it is unacceptable we do not know what this will cost.
-- The results of the Flood Study. This project should not have been started until the study was complete. We need time to understand and discuss the study results with residents, determine what mitigation will be required to protect the residents of District 9 because of lowering the beach height and allocate the funding to pay for the mitigation measures. Or, if the mitigation costs are too high, we need to choose a different path forward.
- I will be present in the District. I will be proactively engaging with you so I know your issues and can effectively represent you.
29 Oct 2023
Here are links to all of the voter guides out there to help you learn about the candidates vying to lead your town!
The League of Women Voters published their annual voter guide a couple of days ago. There are several errors on the site in the BOE race and none of the RTM races are showing up. We notified the LWV team a few days ago and they are trying to fix it. For now, you can go to their site, put in your address and it will show you the town-wide races. To see the RTM candidates, scroll down past the races. At the bottom of the "Encourage Voter Turnout" banner block there is a link that says, "All Candidates". Click this link, select CT, and then type in my last name. When you click on my pic it will take you to the page with all 8 candidates; 5/8 have provided answers. They hide the web address so I can't post a hyperlink.
I am also posting the link to the other 3 voter guides so you can look at all of the available material about candidates for all of the races:
LWV: https://www.vote411.org/
Know Your Reps: https://www.knowyourreps.org/candidates-fairfield
Patch Candidate Guide: https://patch.com/connecticut/fairfield/fairfield-2023-election-voter-guide-meet-candidates
FBRA Voter Guide for RTM D9: https://fbra.org/district-9-rtm-statements-2023/
FBRA Voter Guide for BOS: https://fbra.org/fairfield-board-of-selectmen-statements-2023/
Take some time this rainy Sunday and read about the people vying to lead our town!
28 Oct 2023
What a beautiful day today! Spent 10 hours out talking to voters; it was great to speak to so many of you and hear your thoughts and concerns. The most common themes today were leadership issues, taxes, schools, the Penfield Pavilion decision and how it will negatively impact D9 both in terms of flood and erosion and increased taxes to fund a project already having budget issues, and the UI monopoles. It was good to share with you how I thought I could impact these various issues from the RTM and here your feedback on those ideas.
One topic that came up a couple of times was the endless promises candidates make and then seem to "forget" after the election. Over the next few days, I will do a series of posts that outline exactly what I have promised voters and how I intend to address them if I am elected--a clear written record for accountability to the voters. As part of the routine communications I have discussed, I will keep you updated on each of the things I promised until they are completed.
26 Oct 2023
What an incredible day! I spent most of it on the bike riding the district and chatting with folks that stopped me. Logged 38.9 miles and appreciated the kind words and encouragement from so many people today!
Only 11 days and a wakeup until election day!
25 Oct 2023
Spent today riding and walking 17.2 miles around the District talking to voters. The topics today were leadership and transparency with a focus on UI and the Penfield Pavilion decisions. In 12 days, the Polls will open and you, the voters, can set the course the town will follow for the next four years.
As we all knock on your doors or you see us out in the District and stop us, please keep challenging every candidate and pressing them on the issues that matter to you. If candidates aren't making themselves available to you now, during the election, they certainly won't be there when you need them after the election.
Additionally, I topped the 1,000-mile mark today biking around the District!! That's 50 complete laps; 50 trips past each door so you have every opportunity to engage and get answers to the things that matter to you!
24 Oct 2023
Spent the day riding 9.5 miles around the District and talking to voters all along the way; a lot of people were out today. The two biggest topics were taxes and leadership. The best quote I have heard was a voter that told me they didn't mind paying taxes, but they couldn't stand seeing their money wasted.
Two weeks from today we go to the polls; we can change what is happening. We can elect leaders of character and integrity. We can elect leaders that are focused on serving us and that will faithfully represent us. We can elect proven leaders with the skills and abilities needed to LEAD this town and solve the issues facing us.
Spend the next two weeks pressing every candidate so you know who the people are you want representing you and leading your town.
23 Oct 2023
The Fairfield Beach Residents Association (FBRA) gave all eight candidates running for RTM in District 9 the opportunity to answer several questions for its members. The FBRA is made up of homeowners living in the area bounded by Reef, Old Field/Old Post, Beach, and Fairfield Beach roads.
Please take a few minutes to read the statements and see who outlines a vision and plan you agree with. Whose actions are consistent with their words? Whose message here is consistent with prior statements this election season? Who has the ability to represent you and address the issues you care about?
I have also posted the third and final article in a series discussing how I will be able to effectively represent you as an Unaffiliated member. You can click here to read the posts.
22 Oct 2023
A wonderful day to be out talking to voters!! I visited the homes of over 100 voters today. There were many great discussions and you challenged me on how I will deal with tax growth, servant leadership in government, accountability for failed public officials, the Penfield Pavilion mess our government has created, education and over-development in the town.
Please keep the pressure on all of us until election day. If the people at your door can't answer your questions, they shouldn't get your vote.
21 Oct 2023
The rain finally cleared, and I was able to spend 4 hours visiting the homes of more than 100 voters. Voter concerns focused on leadership/transparency, taxes and over development in the town. We spent a lot of time talking about my thoughts on these issues and how I would address them as a RTM member.
As we get closer to the election, keep pressing every candidate on the things that matter to you and your family. Make us prove to you we have a plan and earn your vote!
I also posted the second in a three part series on how I will be effective as your Unaffiliated RTM member. You can click here to read it.
20 Oct 2023
The rain kept me off the campaign trail today, but one of the questions I am often asked is how I can be effective as an Unaffiliated member or the RTM. Click here to read the first of three posts.
19 Oct 2023
Another enjoyable day talking to voters! Got in 25.9 miles and visited the homes of 95 voters. A lack of responsiveness to constituent concerns by elected and appointed officials has come up multiple times in the last couple of days. Citizens reach out to various Departments/officials for help and are brushed off or ignored entirely. If you have spoken to me, you know I have had the same problems, and it is one of the reasons that I am running for office.
The solution is simple; it requires your RTM reps to be present in the District and to be proactively communicating with you! I firmly believe that every constituent problem is an issue for the RTM reps. The RTM has the power of the purse; they approve the budget which to me makes them responsible for ensuring the budget is spent effectively to serve the citizens of their District.
I have written about the importance of communication before and how I plan to ensure there is open and consistent communication between me and the people I represent. As part of that, I will ask every D9 constituent to copy me on e-mails to the administration asking for help.
You only need to ask for help once; if you are ignored, I will step in and be your advocate and we will get an answer. I will use the extensive powers vested in the RTM as the legislative branch to make sure the voters of D9 are being treated properly and fairly by the town's departments that exist to serve the citizens of Fairfield.
Finally, I went over 900 miles riding the bike around the District today! Less than three weeks to go to break 1,000 miles!
17 Oct 2023
It has been great to be back home! I have logged 42 miles and visited 125 voter homes since the last update. The conversations picked up right where we left off; taxes and leadership/transparency.
With only three weeks left, I have spent 617 hours campaigning, including biking 888 miles around the district (44 complete laps) and visiting the homes of over 2,800 voters.
Election Day is three weeks from today. Continue to push us on our vision and plan to lead as your elected officials. If the person is an incumbent, ask how their voting record matches the speech they are giving. For example, if they are talking about lowering taxes but voted "yes" on the budgets, then there is a problem; they actually raised your taxes. If the person is not an incumbent, evaluate our knowledge of the system and processes and have us explain how our skills will contribute to effectively representing you. Make us earn your vote!
10 Oct 2023
We are 4 weeks from election day! The RTM is the people's body in local government; we are your closest representatives and the first call you should make when have concerns. Therefore, I think it is important everyone in D9 has a chance to talk to me directly. Since August 10th, I have put 588 hours and 853.2 miles into campaigning. I have visited the homes of over 2,400 voters and talked to many of you during those visits.
As we get closer, keep pressing all eight of us on the issues that matter most to you. Do you know us/have we been available to you? How will we represent you; do we have the skills? Are we able to address the things that matter to you, and do you agree with us?
To help get ready for election day, check out the "Know Your Reps" website; it is a great single location for all things election related:
I will be back in town on the 16th, but if you have any questions at all, just send me a note at jim.bowen.rtm9@gmail.com and we will set up a time to talk and get you answers.
6 Oct 2023
I will be off the campaign trail 8-15 October to attend the annual Board/Membership meeting of the River Rats. I served on the National Board of this organization as the Secretary of Air Force Affairs for a number of years. While I hate to step away from the District, this is the 50th Anniversary of the first “Real Reunion” of an organization that has given a tremendous amount back to veterans and especially Gold Star families. You can click here to read more about the organization and what it does.
Even though I will be out of town, I am always available for a phone call and am happy to talk with any of you that have questions or concerns over the next week! Send me an email at jim.bowen.rtm9@gmail.com!
5 Oct 2023
The sample ballot for the 2023 election has been released. I am on Row D and am in column 24 under the RTM section. I am the only candidate on Row D. Click here to read more and see the 2023 Ballot.
3 Oct 2023
Another great day of door knocking and talking to voters! A topic that came up today, and is not uncommon, is how effective can I be as an unaffiliated member if elected?
It's a fair question. The short answer is I can be quite effective in addressing all four priorities I have laid out; transparency and accountability, controlling property tax growth, strong schools, and safer streets. Over the next several days I will post on each of these topics and how I will produce results as your unaffiliated representative.
2 Oct 2023
Today was another great day. Rode 3 miles and visiting with a number of voters door knocking this afternoon. More good conversations about the things that matter to you!
There is a lot of discussion on the campaign trail about a transparent and accountable government. A critical aspect of those two traits is communication. Continuous communication allows residents to know exactly what their government is doing and keeps elected officials accountable to their constituents. To read more about how I will communicate with you if elected, click here!
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