Jim Bowen Running For Fairfield RTM District 9

FAIRFIELD, CT — It's election season in Fairfield, and Patch is here to help you get to know the candidates running for local office in 2021 before voters head to the polls Nov. 2.

Questionnaire responses appear as submitted by candidates.

Unaffiliated candidate Jim Bowen, 52, is running for RTM District 9 in Fairfield.

Occupation: Retired Air Force Colonel

Family: My much better half Heidi is a retired Air Force colonel and I have three daughters. Elizabeth, my oldest is a DNA analyst at a lab outside of Washington D.C. Lauren, my middle daughter, is finishing her Master of Education degree and is teaching Middle School in Virginia. Kate, my youngest, is a 5th grader and proud Sherman Shark!

Experience: None

Family in government: None

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

Continued budget and tax growth is a critical issue for our town that must be addressed. The voters in District 9 saw their tax bills increase an average of ~11% this year. This excessive tax growth is unsustainable; we must do better! It makes it difficult for many of our citizens to stay here in Fairfield and especially our Seniors. The RTM is the town body charged with determining the annual appropriations for the next fiscal year. To stop the continual budget growth and associated tax increases we must bring more rigorous and aggressive oversight to the RTM budget process. I will work tirelessly to improve the RTM budget process and assure the voters a thorough and detailed review of every dollar in the budget to control growth.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

There are five things I feel make me unique among the nine RTM candidates in District 9.

First, I have extensive leadership experience. I am a 28-year Air Force veteran and retired as a full colonel. I am a decorated combat veteran with multiple deployments, and I am a proven senior leader of character and integrity.

Second, I am the only unaffiliated candidate, and am completely self-financed. I will not report to party leadership; I will work only for the voters of District 9. As your unaffiliated RTM member, I can ask the tough questions and drive open discussions key to building trust between government and the community. Discussions critical to transparency that will not happen without an independent voice.

Third, I have extensive budget experience. As a commander for seven years I built, defended, and executed eight budgets amounting to millions of dollars over my career. Not once did we exceed our budget. Additionally, I was an Air Force liaison to Congress for five years working multi-billion dollar Air Force budgets directly with Congress. I know how to work budgets, find waste, and control growth.

Fourth, I have a strong education background. I spent seven years of my career teaching including three years teaching at the University of Notre Dame. I know what it takes to resource a great education. I have the background to ensure every dollar the RTM approves in the complex education budget is spent providing the best possible education for our children.

Finally, and I am retired; this will be my full-time job. I am available during normal business hours to serve you and work with the town to get you the answers you deserve. I will also be available daily to work with town officials to find solutions to the many issues we face and build a stronger district and town.

Accomplishments:

I rose to the rank of full colonel during my military career; a rank attained by less than 1% of service members. As a Colonel I was the senior echelon of military command and leadership. I was competitively selected to command four different units over my career. I have served at every level in the military including leading global strategic engagement and defense operations. I have served at the highest levels in the Pentagon on multiple senior staffs. I spent 10 years of my career primarily flying in F-15E fighter jets. I have served in multiple combat operations and led thousands of Airmen. My leadership and decision-making skills have been repeatedly tested under the most demanding and unforgiving of circumstances. I am a thoroughly tested and proven servant leader who knows how to build and lead high performing teams, to build consensus, and solve difficult problems. I have the unique skills, education, and and background to be an excellent RTM representative for the voters of District 9.

Other issues:

In addition to controlling budget and tax growth, we must realize a transparent and responsive government. Without that there is no trust with the citizens; and that trust is the foundation everything is built upon. To get there we need elected officials of character and integrity.

We need to continue working to strengthen our public schools. My youngest is a Sherman Shark and my middle daughter is teaching in Middle School; schools are critical to the community. We need to ensure every dollar allocated in the budget is spent to provide the best possible education for our children.

We need to work closely with local police to ensure safety on our streets. District 9 is a heavily pedestrian area and that is part of what makes this such a close-knit community and special place to live. Keeping the streets safe is a must to preserve that sense of community.

We must continue to work on Senior tax relief, beach erosion control and preservation, and and flood mitigation issues across the district.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

My family and I love it here. We have lived all over the world and could have moved anywhere in the country after I retired, and we chose Fairfield. But there are things we can improve to make our town better. I chose to run as an unaffiliated candidate because I strongly believe we need a voice that is independent and unencumbered by party politics to speak for us. Finally, the voters of District 9 have seen me out in the district every single day engaging with them, and discussing their hopes and concerns. If elected I will put that same tireless work ethic to work directly representing voters and supporting the District and Town in the RTM. Together we can make a difference and build a stronger Fairfield!