To the Editor:

My name is Aaron Carlson, and I am excited for the opportunity to offer my services as a candidate for the Newtown Board of Finance.  My wife and I moved to town 8.5 years ago for the excellent school sys-tem and we have since grown to a wonderful family of five. We are all so proud to call Newtown our home.

So the truth is that I am the definition of apolitical.  I am registered as “unaffiliated,” but I am hon-ored that the Democratic Town Committee has endorsed me for my relative 17+ years of professional finance experience and leadership qualities.   My experience includes leading annual operating budget processes, strategic capital investment planning, implementing compliance policies and standard oper-ating procedures, and executing cost-saving initiatives.

I lead 30 finance professionals throughout North America supporting a world class organization.  We work together to govern a budget that exceeds $800MM, which is approximately eight times the size of the Newtown annual expense budget.

Cost control is what I do every day.  This is my expertise that I would like to offer.  Meanwhile, I have personally found giving back to the community to be very rewarding.  I have invested my spare time as the founder and chairman of non-profit Newtown Kindness for two and a half years, co-founder of the newly organized Newtown Education Foundation, as well as volunteering as a Newtown Soccer Club coach for six years.

Now, I would like to share with you 6 guiding principles that, if elected, I will bring to the Board of Finance:

1. Be fiscally responsible with every tax dollar and improve our spending efficiency in a balanced fash-ion.

2. Maintain our strong credit rating.

3. Embrace our education system like the asset that it is and that it needs to continue to be.

4. Improve our long-term strategic planning.

5. Create opportunities for the community’s voice and be proactively transparent.  6. Grow the Grand List, without impacting our historical character.

Newtown needs to define success. Newtown needs a unified vision. Newtown needs balanced support of our demographics.  Newtown needs the community to guide us. Newtown needs two way communica-tion.  Newtown needs to rid wasteful spend and return value for our tax dollar.  Newtown needs to be in demand.  Newtown needs property value increases and appropriate economic development to drive a growth model, not a reduction model.

Together, we are at a crucial point in our town’s history and the elections play an important role.  I first ask everyone to please vote on November 3rd!  When you are at the polls, if you value relative fi-nancial experience, leadership skills and a passion for our town; then I would appreciate your consid-eration for Aaron Carlson on your ballot.

I welcome all questions that may assist you in your candidate selection and I enjoy hearing from community members.  Email me at:  aaron4newtown@gmail.com or follow along on social media here:  https://www.facebook.com/aaron4newtown

Thank you for your support.

Aaron Carlson

2 Old Farm Hill Rd Newtown         October 22, 2015