To the Editor:
Every responsible household must maintain a stable and effective budget. The math is simple: money spent cannot exceed revenues. Capital expended is a necessary combination of expenditures to maintain or improve the quality of the home. A small town like Middlebury needs to follow budgetary guidelines just as any household needs to do. As elected officials, Edward St. John and I are obligated to develop low-risk, financially responsible goals, to keep Middlebury a great place to live.
During the past two years, our administration developed specific objectives. Our team discerned what problems existed, what needs would arise, and the best way to approach each situation with a viable and comprehensive solution. We successfully developed and carried out those goals with great results.
Recently, there have been rumblings that Michael McCormack and some members of the Board of Finance have been falsely claiming they completed these tasks; however, only the Board of Selectmen has the authority to do so. Some of the St. John – Strobel administration’s more notable accomplishments include:
- worked with Region 15 to improve and execute school safety measures
- kept town expenses flat
- hired a new police chief
- made necessary repairs to our Fenn Farm property
- added commercial properties that increased the grand list
- decreased Middlebury’s health insurance costs
- consistently maintained safe roads during snow and ice storms
- cut costs by implementing regional police dispatch
- completed Schoolhouse Park on Maple Drive
- worked on regionalizing the dog pound facility on Woodside Drive
- completed our library expansion project
- instituted a road opening ordinance
For the future, the Republican administration is focused on new aspirations, again following the responsible approach we know works. Our plans for the future focus on:
- increasing economic development
- repairing roads; some have not been overhauled since 2004
- replacing the roofs on the Town Hall and Shepardson Community Center
- cutting energy costs by expanding LED light usage and re-insulating buildings
- hiring a new police chief
- increasing communication with Region 15 to help keep costs down
- replacing underground fuel tanks that the DEEP requires being completed by 2017
The St. John – Strobel team has earned the trust of its Middlebury citizens and we do not take your vote of confidence lightly. We work tirelessly, always with voters’ interests in mind, to keep Middlebury a great place to live. On Nov. 3, come out and vote for the entire Republican Team.
Elaine Strobel, Selectman
Middlebury
