LETTER: In Support of Our Community

Community. What does that word mean? Is it a simple definition that Webster’s defines as “A group of people who live together in a small area?

For some, the very word community becomes an idea. That idea, is that we just don’t happen to live in the same area, we become part of it, and it flows throughout our body. 

That is what I believe, that we are all more than a group of individuals who live together, but we are one, and it’s time we unite. 

A budget is more than just idle numbers that are chosen at random, it is a long, hard, calculated document that governs not only today, but governs the very future of this community. 

For too long, we have squabbled over which is the right way that our budget should be put together, too long have we been presented with graphs, and data suggesting that we are not on par with other towns that border us. 

What Westbrook, Madison and Old Saybrook do in their town, should not be the yardstick in which we measure ourselves. 

We, should consistently strive to do things the Clinton way, what’s best for Clinton, and what is best for our future. 

Let us not look to our neighbors, and their mil rates and say, that’s what we should do, because what works for them does not work for us. 

That is the principle I share with you today. We are all in this community together, and we should take that in our hearts and our minds and become one. 

This budget for the town provides valuable money that will keep up our level of maintenance, so that our infrastructure continues to attract new people to our town, and join our community. 

It ensures that future generations do not have to pay for our failures today. 

We, for too long, have failed to pass a budget on the first ballot, let us send, together a powerful message to anybody looking at Clinton and say “This is a strong community that cares about its future”. 

Join me in voting  “Yes” on May 14th

Kristopher Struzinski