Erik Smith Running For Milford Board Of Aldermen

MILFORD, CT — Republican Erik Smith, 43, is running for Board of Aldermen in Milford.

Occupation: I Am Currently A Local, Top-producing, Real Estate Agent. Before Becoming A Real Estate Agent, I Had 14 Years Of Experience As A Marketing Manager In The Corporate Environment, Often Managing Million-dollar Budgets.

Family: My fiancée Robyn; Parents Calvin Smith Jr and Marie Smith; Sister Michelle (Smith) McAvoy and brother-in-law Tim, plus a niece and nephew.

Experience: I have not held any previous elected office.

Family in government: No

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

I will be focused on reducing our property tax mill rate. As a real estate agent, I have seen firsthand the increase in property values with this latest real estate boom. Some residents may not be aware of this, but Milford is scheduled for an upcoming reassessment value of our homes. With this latest boom, we are more than likely going to see an increase in the amount of which we pay in property taxes with this new assessment. Now is the perfect time for a much greater reduction in the mill rate, and instead of the minuscule reductions we have seen over the last few years.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I will bring a new voice to the table, which our city desperately needs. Currently, there is a strong one party control in office. All voices need to be represented in our city government if we hope to find better bipartisan solutions.

I work closely with people from all walks of life; because of this, and I am highly qualified to navigate the variety of challenges that we will face as a town.

Accomplishments:

I bring a unique and diverse background of experience. Before my career as a full-time real estate agent, I spent nearly 15-years working in the corporate environment, where I developed many of the skills that have led me to success.

As a marketing manager, I was responsible for maintaining and forecasting multi-million dollar marketing budgets. During my time in the corporate environment, I am most proud of balancing my full-time career while also attending Fairfield University as a full-time MBA graduate student.

Also, as a real estate agent, and I work directly with families. I understand the impact and stress that buying or selling a home has on their lives. That is why I take my job as seriously as I do.

Other issues:

I will provide support for our police and public safety officers. I stand in solidarity with our police officers who selflessly run into harm’s way to keep our community safe. Recently, Police Chief Mello reported that there has been an “increase in disrespect and poor treatment” of our officers. His comments are both saddening and deeply troubling. Our police officers deserve the best treatment and resources that we can provide.

Furthermore, as someone that has grown up in Milford, I have witnessed how we have lost some of our small-town charm. I strongly support progress and economic growth; however, I believe we must approach any growth while always striving to retain that charm that has made Milford great for so long. With our historic charm, our beaches, and our open spaces, and Milford offers so much more than surrounding towns. We must strive to protect it.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I want my voters to know that I am dedicated to our community. I will work with the rest of the board members to address budgeting issues and by ensuring Milford is not borrowing and bonding too much and that we work hard to pay down accumulated debt.