Newtown Election: John Fletcher For Newtown Board Of Finance

NEWTOWN, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in Newtown will be on the ballot.

To help readers make an informed decision on Nov. 2, Patch has reached out to local candidates to share their views on various topics of importance in town.

Patch will post these candidate profiles over the next several days, so check back often to see the latest.

Occupation: Finance And Operations

Family: Wife Jordana Bloom, Daughter Jamison, Sons Jackson, Hudson, and Hayden.

Experience: Newtown Borough Zoning Board of Appeals

Family in government: My wife Jordana has served two terms on the Newtown Legislative Council, a volunteer position.

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

From a Board of Finance perspective, the most important issue we face is how to balance important investments, such as education, with the need to maintain financial discipline and an affordable tax structure for our residents, in both the short and long term. In recent years the Board has helped find that balance of prioritized spending without tax increases, so we need to continue that rigor. My business experience and strong teamwork approach will help work with other Board members to find the right consensus solutions to those challenges - on budgets, business incentives, encouraging economic development, and long term capital planning.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I believe my relevant work experience and education are strong competitive advantages for the Board of Finance position. I have worked in Finance for over 30 years and mostly with IBM. I also have an MBA so I have applicable educational background to support analyzing and understanding new issues.

Accomplishments:

In my career, I have worked to set and manage budgets, prioritize expense and capital plans, and work with many constituents to solve business problems. And those are all key elements of the Board of Finance role. I also currently serve on the Newtown Borough Zoning Board of Appeals, and so I have worked on some other aspects of town and resident issues as well.

Other issues:

After helping raise our 4 kids and sending them out in the world, I wanted to give something back to our great town, and that is why I am running. Importantly, I will support education because it benefits our whole community, and I will work constructively with all the other Board members to find balanced solutions to our challenges. I have been motivated by my wife Jordana's service on the Legislative Council, and I commit to work just as hard to bring my extensive experience to this position.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I appreciate the town's consideration and I hope to support all our residents' interests in the coming term.