"I have spent my entire adult life working in public service for the United States in the Air Force and now I want to focus my energies working for you and the town of Fairfield in District 9. My key priorities for our district are 1) realizing a more transparent and responsive local government, 2) clamping down on endless budget and tax increases, 3) strengthening our public schools and 4) working with law enforcement to ensure public safety on the roads. I petitioned my way onto the ballot and am running as an unaffiliated candidate; I am not tied to a political party. I will only work for you - I will work tirelessly and bring honesty, transparency and accountability to everything our town does."
-- Jim Bowen
KEY PRIORITIES FOR DISTRICT NINE
JIM'S UNIQUE SKILLS TO ADDRESS THESE PRIORITIES
KEY PRIORITIES FOR DISTRICT NINE
REALIZING A MORE TRANSPARENT AND RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT
Town government decisions will not always make everyone happy, that is a fact of representative government. However, I believe government officials owe their constituents a transparent, factual account of why and how they arrived at a decision, including being responsive to citizen queries. During my time in Fairfield, I have seen failures in these areas, and I want to change that.
A transparent and responsive government that serves the people requires leaders of character and courage; I am that kind of leader. I will work hard for you, the town residents, to correct failures and reinforce accountability in our town government. You will not be on your own when dealing with the town – if elected, I will be your first- line elected official and I will assist every member of District 9 that needs help getting answers or action from the town.
CLAMPING DOWN ON ENDLESS BUDGET AND TAX INCREASES
In 2021, the Fairfield town government proposed the largest percent budget increase in at least 10 years. The town touted a small Mill Rate increase, but we saw our tax bills in District 9 increase an average of ~11%. This huge tax bill increase is tied directly to two things: 1) the record budget growth and 2) the property revaluation we just went through, which should have lowered the Mill Rate based on the 7% Grand List growth (4.5% of which was taxable). Over the last four years, the average home in D9 has seen a property tax increase of 12.2% with some areas seeing tax growth of almost 25%. This rate of growth is unsustainable for families and Seniors living on a fixed income; we must do something different.
The town’s budget documents used to justify the budget growth are inadequate, in many cases the “justifications” are weak, incomplete, or non-existent. I believe to stop the excessive budget growth and associated tax increases we must bring rigorous and aggressive oversight and detailed review of every dollar in the budget to the RTM. I will work to bring that level of review to the budget approval process. As a RTM member I will be part of a team that has the final say over the budget, the money that funds every aspect of town government. If you are not being supported and/or money is not being spent properly, I will work to get you the answers you deserve.
STRENGTHENING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
My youngest daughter, Kate, is a proud RLMS Bulldog and my middle daughter, Lauren, is a 6th Grade Science teacher; education is critically important to my family, as it is to many of yours. We need to focus our limited resources on the core academic mission of the schools; to provide our children with the best possible education. We need to enable teachers to challenge children across the full range of abilities and give them every opportunity to reach their full potential.
The Board of Education makes up 57% of the town's budget, we need a true team effort to control costs on both sides of the town budget if we are going to successfully control tax growth while strengthening education for our children. I will work closely with RTM and BoE leaders to make sure we are collectively scrutinizing every dollar spent to ensure we provide the absolute best education possible.
WORKING WITH POLICE TO ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY ON THE ROADS
Law enforcement is the backbone of a safe community, especially when it comes to safety on the roads. In Fairfield, and District 9 specifically, we need to do more with law enforcement to address areas that I believe have become issues within our community. The following two issues I believe are paramount for safety in the community:
Unsafe Driving:
I have heard a continual chorus of complaints about distracted driving, drivers running stop signs, speeders, etc. and I have personally experienced two near misses with distracted drivers. District 9 is a heavy pedestrian area, which is part of the neighborhood appeal, but we need to clamp down on unsafe driving to prevent the inevitable. We need to act, and we need to do it now. If elected, I will request a meeting with the Chief of Police and the other three District RTM members during my first week after taking office to find a solution to these problems and make our roads and streets safer.
Guest Parking:
Living in this terrific area I believe we should have more solutions for short-term parking for guests who visit. I have lived in major metropolitan areas that have far stricter parking regulations, however each of those areas had a simple process to accommodate short-term guest parking. I think most, if not all, of us support the current parking restrictions from Memorial Day-Labor Day, but if elected I would collaborate with other officials to find a more welcoming parking solution for guests visiting our homes.
JIM'S UNIQUE SKILLS TO ADDRESS THESE PRIORITIES
OVERVIEW
I think there are four things that separate me from the other candidates; my extensive leadership background, my in-depth knowledge and first-hand experience developing and executing budgets in the billions of dollars, my personal experience as a teacher and leader in academia, and the time I have available to serve the citizens of D9.
LEADERSHIP
I am a proven leader. My leadership abilities were tested, honed, and evaluated every day of my 28-year career serving as an officer in the Air Force. Over my career I was selected for promotion to the rank of full Colonel. As a Colonel, I was a Senior Military leader in the top 1% of the 1.4 million strong active-duty force. It was a humbling experience and incredible honor to lead Airmen at so senior a grade; it was an experience that tested my skills in the extreme. I learned every day in those senior leader engagements and command positions.
I am a combat tested leader; I built my professional life on the foundations of Integrity, Service Before Self, and Excellence. Four separate times I was competitively selected as a unit commander, because I successfully led my organization during in each prior command. I led thousands of Airmen in the most grueling and demanding environments, including the unforgiving environment of combat operations. I know how to build a team and create an environment that allows everyone to succeed. I know how to get the job done, no matter the obstacles or difficulties.
Many of the problems we see in government at all levels; lack of transparency, being dismissive/unresponsive to citizen inquiries, hiding behind bureaucracy to avoid oversight, lack of accountability, etc. are due to failed leadership. Organizations exhibiting the behaviors above are often led by individuals lacking integrity, courage, vision, and a sense of duty. They are not present and consequently do not lead by example. Since they are not present, they do not know what is happening and therefore there is no accountability. Strong leadership will solve many of the problems we face in government.
I spent my entire adult life studying and executing the art of Leadership. I am ready to put that leadership to work for you, the residents of District 9 and the Town of Fairfield
BUDGET EXPERIENCE
I bring 12 years of extensive budget experience to the table. 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 every level of budgeting to ensure every cent people are taxed is necessary and is spent efficiently.
During my seven years as a military Commander, I was responsible for developing, defending, and executing the budget of each of the four units I commanded; many millions of dollars over my career. There was no safety net; I had to execute what I was given and adjust within my existing funding as needed to meet ever evolving mission needs. I was responsible for every aspect of the budget and ensuring it was properly executed. When the environment changed, it was my responsibility to prioritize the funds and shift them as needed to ensure the unit was always combat ready. It was an intense environment, one that I excelled in.
Additionally, I spent five years as a Secretary of the Air Force’s (SecAF) Congressional Liaison officer. I was responsible for helping to craft the service’s $130+ billion-dollar annual budget and prepare it for the rigorous scrutiny of multiple committees in the House and Senate. I developed critical legislative strategies on major national security issues to ensure the Senate and House had everything necessary to justify and approve the annual budget. I provided the necessary leadership and expertise as I successfully leading SecAF’s most challenging and complex budgetary issues.
This level and scope of budget experience is uncommon. If I am elected, I will work with other members to improve the rigor and efficiency of the RTM’s budget approval process; a win for D9 taxpayers!
TEACHING BACKGROUND
I bring an extensive educational background to the job. I spent eight years of my career as a teacher/instructor at the University of Notre Dame and on the fighter jet flight line. These were incredibly rewarding positions given my passion for education; I understand the importance of inspiring young people to grow into the best versions of themselves and I know what is required to resource and deliver a quality education.
I spent three years teaching at the University of Notre Dame. I served as the Department Chair for Aerospace Studies and was a professor teaching National Security theory and strategy. As a Department Chair, one of my responsibilities was to build and justify our academic budget. I was a sitting Fellow at the Notre Dame International Security Center, part of the Department of Political Science. Additionally, I served on the Faculty Senate and was a member of Notre Dame’s Honor Committee entrusted with the University’s Honor Code for students.
Additionally, I spent five years as an instructor and flight evaluator teaching and certifying aircrew to operate and employ the F-15E fighter jet in combat operations. This was a challenging job which required I constantly adapt my teaching style to many different students to ensure they were ready to face the unrelenting rigors of combat aviation.
These experiences give me a unique skillset. I have first-hand knowledge and experience both as a teacher (and all that entails), an academic administrator, and developing education budgets. These skills will be vital in my role as an RTM member charged with reviewing and approving the BOE budget as part of the overall town budget. These skills ensure the budget I help oversee and approve will allocate the resources to provide the absolute best education for our kids while being mindful of every dollar spent. You and your families deserve nothing less.
TIME TO SERVE THE VOTERS
We don’t normally think of “time” when we look at elected officials; the person is elected, and their job is to serve the people. However, the RTM is a local body; it is not considered a full-time position and the elected members are not paid. As you evaluate each candidate, who has the time to dedicate to serving you? Who will be fully focused on the voters?
I believe to execute the job of RTM representative well and faithfully, and fully serve the 6,000+ constituents takes an enormous amount of time. I believe your RTM representative should be your first call when you are not getting the support you need from the town or when you have a problem or concern you want addressed. They are the elected official closest to you; they are your neighbors! Additionally, the topics the RTM must deal with are numerous and complex; they have an enormous impact on your daily life in Fairfield. To do due diligence to fully grasp and understand the issues without relying on somebody else to tell you what to do takes a lot of time and effort.
I am fully retired; supporting, representing, and fighting for the members of D9 will be my full-time job. When you need help or assistance, I will be there to support you. When you have questions or want to talk, I will be available to listen and provide the answers you deserve. You see me every day, out there in the District working for you. The citizens of D9 will be my priority!
Approved by James E. Bowen, Jr.
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