Guilford Republican Primary: Bill Mulligan Seeks Nomination

GUILFORD, CT — Guilford holds its Republican primary Tuesday, Sept. 14 for the Board of Education candidates. Registered Republican you may vote at regular polling places from 6 am until 8 pm.

Patch contacted primary candidates to answer questions about their campaigns.

Bill Mulligan, 49, is seeking the Republican Party nomination for Board of Education.

Occupation: Digital Marketing

Experience: Guilford High School Building Committee

Family in government: No

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

There is a long term issue facing Guilford- sliding enrollment rates. Due to high fixed costs Guilford needs a strategic plan to determine how we stay fiscally responsible in the future.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I have extensive experience working with faculty, staff and administration through my role on the Guilford High School Building Committee. In that role, and I was personally responsible for the $92.2 million budget and made sure we ended the project under budget. This experience will be invaluable when managing the BoE budget-- the town's largest expense.

Accomplishments:

Ending the Guilford High School Building Project approx $2 million under budget.

Other issues:

Due to the pandemic and use of technology in education will become more and more important. My professional experience with educational institutions has taught me the impact of technology on teachers and students. This will be an important issue in the coming years.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

Moderate, balanced, experienced, and committed are great adjectives to describe me. Loosely, the term “Rockefeller Republican” probably defines my views best- fiscally conservative, but socially and environmentally liberal. • I believe schools can run efficiently, like a business, through proper fiscal management and continual implementation of technology in operational and administrative areas (something I believe and have achieved in my professional life). I am proud that Guilford spends 10% less per student on schooling than Madison and deliver (I believe) a superior product. I would love to do even better (academically and fiscally). • I believe that schools affect real estate values. Look at the rate of high school enrollment in Madison vs Guilford (with its National Blue Ribbon school). • I believe Guilford schools, teachers and administrators are some of the best in the country. They work tirelessly to ensure our kids leave Guilford with the best possible education. That passion has been recognized at the state and national levels. • I believe that Critical Race Theory is NOT part of Guilford’s curriculum. Nor should it be. • I believe that Diversity, Equity and Inclusion means that all students should be given an equal opportunity for a top-quality education and school experience. This should be an essential tenet of our schools. However, I don’t believe that any race should be made to feel guilty of the actions of previous generations. That isn’t productive. • Most importantly, and I believe in respect and civility. I believe that is critical among students but also among the broader Guilford community who all have a role to play in the development of our children.