You can find the sum total of all public comments at the FRA website. Hint… not one candidate on the slate calling itself Charlestown Residents United even bothered to send an email opposing the Kenyon to Old Saybrook Bypass.
All of these events were possible because the citizens of Charlestown rose up in the winter of 2016 to fight off the RR proposal and they were led by Lee, Carroccia,Van Slyke and Platner. As we go to vote this week, I hope we all congratulate ourselves for fighting for what we love about Charlestown and say thank you as we vote.
The Charlestown Citizens Alliance was created over a decade ago to foster exactly this type of “good government” and civil discourse, as Charlestown voters joined together to reject the political attacks that now sadly characterize national politics. The result is that Charlestown has among the lowest taxes in the state, while providing proven leadership to protect our town against expected and sometimes unexpected threats.
I will vote for candidates based on their character, and what they can offer our town, in keeping with its rural character and charm. I will vote for Charlestown Citizens Alliance-endorsed candidates Virginia Lee, Julie Carroccia and Bonnie Van Slyke, who worked to defeat the train for all Charlestown residents, and who saved my home, as well as our community.
CCA receives 100% of its funding from Charlestown property owners, nearly three quarters of donations are from year round residents and the rest from seasonal residents. Seasonal residents contribute to CCA for the same reason full time residents do, because they want Charlestown to remain a beautiful community with taxes they can afford.
Our opponents lobbied that we should appoint someone who was so gravely ill that he could not attend the February Town Council meeting, one who never could have served on the Town Council and sadly passed away in June. George was not just an excellent choice; George was the only viable choice.
If you like Charlestown as it is, continue supporting a council that has worked to maintain that character; the low taxes but quality education, open space that preserves our resources and provides habitat and recreation, that believes in listening to people as evidenced by their going door-to door to get individuals’ views of as many residents as they can and asking their concerns, and being civil and responsible.
While the news and television advertisements are focused on our national and state elections, I find that my quality of daily life in Charlestown is most affected by the type of candidates elected to local office. Fortunately, the Charlestown Town Council circus that once made Charlestown the political laughing stock of the state has dramatically changed for the better.
These are but two glaring examples that compelled Charlestown voters to oust them and strongly contributed to CCA’s success at the ballot box, which has resulted in exemplary leadership over the past eight years. Now, vestiges of that same group have the gumption to make their primary position in this year’s election, “Bring back open and transparent government.” I trust that Charlestown voters will not be fooled again. It’s simply a matter of “old wine in new bottles.”
Our Town Council went into immediate action alerting residents and lobbying state and federal officials. Through thousands of hours of combined effort they gained the support of over 100 international, national, state, and municipal organizations and thousands of residents statewide. Together we succeeded in removing the “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass” from the plan and the coalition the Council formed with those other organizations has put us in a much stronger position going forward.
The staff at Town Hall and our town solicitor have been diligently working to implement the numerous updates to ensure each eligible Charlestown veteran receives an equitable and accurate tax credit adjustment to their property taxes. Because the legislation was passed in late June and the tax credits also need to be funded, the earliest the adjustment can occur is fiscal year 2019.
Julie Carroccia, Virginia Lee, Bonnie Van Slyke, David Wilkinson, and Bill Wilson are proven leaders whose education, experience, and integrity prepare them to best represent you as Charlestown Town Councilors.
Vice President of the Town Council, Julie retired from a senior management position at Bank of America and is an expert in risk assessment and business lending. As Ex Officio member of the Budget Commission, she is instrumental in maintaining our property tax rate among the lowest in the state and our excellent credit rating. She was a leader in stopping the Federal Railroad Administration’s “Old Saybrook to Kenyon Bypass” and spearheaded Solarize Charlestown to promote rooftop solar. Julie is committed to Charlestown’s environment and rural character. Julie has a BA in English and studied Law.
CCA-endorsed candidates for 2018 are proven leaders whose education, experience, and integrity have prepared them to best represent you in town government. These independent candidates are not affiliated with any political party. What they share in common is a dedication to civil and open government and a passion for preserving and protecting those assets that make Charlestown such a unique and treasured place to live.
Whether on the Charlestown Town Council, Planning and School committees, or as Town Moderator, CCA-endorsed officials have formulated policies consistent with our rural character and have brought respectful discussion to those debates in which they themselves disagreed. They have not always voted in unison, and the CCA Steering Committee has always supported worthy candidates without a litmus test for specific positions.