Branford Election 2021: Derek Green Running For RTM 4th District

BRANFORD, CT —The state Municipal Election is Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Patch contacted candidates to answer questions about their campaigns.

Democrat Derek Green, 56, is running for RTM 4th District in Branford.

Occupation: Senior Manager Supply Management

Family: Wife & Daughter

Experience: None

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

Communication is the town’s biggest challenge. Lack of and poor communication occurs at every level within our local government. Examples are a lack of COVID-19, hurricane, & microburst information. This lack of communication is accentuated by the fact that our neighboring towns are far superior at communicating these natural disasters with their residents. This inability to communicate effectively is also present in the Board of Education. Their unwillingness to involve town residents in discussions like in-person learning, and has shown how desperately we need an overhaul of town communication. This is highlighted by the fact we still do not have real-time Zoom meetings for the BOE meetings.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Working in the medical device industry, which is a hi-tech industry, allows me to see firsthand the skills workers need to prosper. These are industries we would like to attract to Branford, as they offer the benefit of high-paying jobs. Like a hi-tech company, you need to invest now to reap the benefits in the future. This means we have to make our town attractive to businesses and these residents alike. We already have the location, we now need the will and expertise.

Accomplishments:

Having been involved in the supply chain my entire professional career, and I understand the need to provide your customers (residents) what they need when they want it. Wealth generation allows the town significant flexibility in how it grows in the future. Having implemented contracts worth billions of dollars over my career impacting locations all around the world, I am used to gaining consensus and achieving goals

Other issues:

Education is critical to the town's prosperity, and ensuring oversight of BOE is something the RTM needs to concern itself with. We also need to improve financial oversight. Far too many projects and expenditures go unchallenged because the RTM is often not given sufficient information or time to question. This issue is compounded as we are failing to attract the correct type of business to bolster the tax base. Climate change is real, and we need to be focused on the environment. By improving access to the town green and the wonderful open spaces, we can get people out of their cars and enjoying our town

What else would you like voters to know about you?

This is my first time running for office, and my goal is to make Branford better on every level.