My goal is to help re-establish my perceived lack of trust between the Budget Committee and the Town Departments and the School Board. I would also like to improve the way the communication occurs between the groups. From my previous years on both boards, the communication was a lot better in the past.

How will you work with the School Board and selectmen to create reasonable town and school operating budgets? 

I would start with open communication and then I would work diligently with both groups to develop budget that is fiscally sound and still provides the services the voters want. I would also like to try a way to provide more choices to the voters, and I propose to do this by providing more warrant articles for larger items and remove them from the main budgets similar to what the Town is doing this year.

What are your ideas for keeping taxes manageable in a down economy? 

If I am lucky to get elected to the Budget Committee, I will listen to the people of this Town and provide the services they want at the most affordable means. I would work with all the Department Heads and the School Board to evaluate how we can minimize expenditures without sacrificing the quality of services. I believe if we separate large purchase items from the base budgets and present them through warrant articles. With this approach, it would allow the voters the choice to which items they approve of ultimately allowing the voters to effect the taxes.