To the Editor:

I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me for the Board of Finance in the last local election.  I hope to receive your vote again in November. If you didn’t vote in the last townwide election, or are taking a look at the candidates for the first time, it’s important that you get to know everyone that is willing to volunteer on your behalf.  So, with that thought in mind, let me tell you a little about myself.

My wife, Betsy, and I moved to Sandy Hook in early 2007 and our sons, Chris and Mitchell, graduated from Newtown High School in 2011 and 2015, respectively.  Volunteering in the community is important to our family and I chose public service as a means to use my skills.  My roles in Newtown have included serving four and a half years on the Board of Assessment Appeals and five years on the C.H. Booth Library Board of Trustees, where I served on the Executive Committee and chaired the Fundraising Committee.  My work with the library led to the establishment of the Newtown Turkey Trot, one of the major fundraisers for the organization.  I no longer direct the race but you can still see me at the start getting the race off on Thanksgiving morning. 

I’ve served on the 2010 and 2012 Charter Revision Commissions, first as vice chair and then as chairman. Finally, in 2013 I was first appointed to then elected to the Board of Finance where I serve today.  It’s a terrific board and I work with great people who want nothing more than to help the town run effectively from a fiscal perspective. 

Professionally, I’ve worked in financial services since the late 80s with roles at JP Morgan in New York and with GE Capital in both Illinois and Connecticut.  I have an MBA in Finance from UConn and a BS in Marketing from Bentley University.  I’m an avid runner and you can often see me on the roads either in downtown Sandy Hook, in the Borough on the Turkey Trot course, at Fairfield Hills, or doing laps on the high school track.

What is my fiscal philosophy when making decisions on behalf of the town?  Simple, you need balanced decision making and you need to serve each generation that lives in the community.  Everyone matters and everyone should benefit from the decisions you make.  We have limited economic resources as a town and it’s the job of the Board of Finance to act as an advisor to use those resources cost effectively and in a logical manner.

I look forward to seeing many residents between now and Election Day and I ask for your vote at the polls.  I enjoy what I do and I’d like to continue serving on your behalf.

Feel free to reach out to me at jgoding1312@gmail.com or on my cell at 203.364.6012 if you have any questions about my background.  You can also go to www.newtownrepublicans.org for a more detailed listing of my bio.

Sincerely,

John Godin

4 Quarry Ridge Road, Sandy Hook             September 28, 2015