FAIRFIELD, Conn. Two Republican candidates held onto their seats on the Board of Finance Tuesday night, and theyll be joined by a new face on the Democratic side. Thomas Flynn and Christopher DeWitt were reelected to the finance board by large margins Tuesday. Newcomer Elaine Gaffney edged out fellow Democrat Patrick McCabe and Independent Laura Incerto for the third open spot.
Its humbling, said Flynn, the boards current chair. Im very excited to keep doing a job that I love doing.
Flynn had the highest vote total of the five candidates, with 7,384. DeWitt was not far behind with 6,275. Gaffney took the last of the third open seats with 5,342 to McCabes 4,831 and Incertos 983. Flynn, DeWitt and Gaffney will serve six-year terms on the nine-member board.
The Board of Finance manages the towns accounts. One of their primary jobs is to help set the town budget each spring, but they must sign off on all town spending. They also set the mill rate to determine property tax rates, and commission an audit of Fairfields finances each year.
All three winning candidates said their main focus will be to keep taxes under control. The taxpayers dont mind paying their fair share of taxes, as long as they know that were watching their money, and that the moneys being spent efficiently, Flynn said. I think its our goal, our responsibility, to make sure that happens.
In particular, DeWitt said he plans to cut out higher-cost short-term debt, and force the Board of Selectmen to set a five-year debt plan and stick to it. If we have a crisis and spend over the cap, something else has to come off [the plan], DeWitt said.
Gaffney, a banker by trade, said she wants to focus on maintaining a balance between services and cost to the taxpayer. Just like everyone is doing in their own personal household, she said. Trying to keep the same quality as you have with the smaller budget that we all have to work with.
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