Finance Board Chair Endorses Bellitto, LeClerc Ahead of Caucus

[Editor's note: The following letter was submitted by Board of Finance Chairman Tom Flynn.]

To the Editor –

On July 23, Republicans across Fairfield will have the opportunity to participate in a caucus to select the party’s nominees for the town’s Board of Finance elections held later this fall.

It has been my great honor to serve as Chairman of the Board of Finance for the past several years.

As I have said publicly many times, I am proud and humbled to be included with such a great group of people. I respect ALL of my colleagues on the board for their dedication, integrity, professionalism, intelligence and their determination to do what they believe is best for the town.       

Throughout my tenure as Chairman, I have been privileged to have both Mary LeClerc and Rob Bellitto serve as Vice Chairman with me.  I could not have done my job without their hard work and counsel.

Mary LeClerc is our most experienced Board member -- completing her 12th year on our board. She serves as the Chairwoman of our Audit Committee and I was lucky to be able to appoint her to the Metro Center Review Committee. She has been invaluable in both positions. Mary is probably our quietest board member, (earning her much admiration from her colleagues on the board!) -- and when she does speak, our members pay attention.

While the public may not necessarily see all of the work that Mary does behind the scenes -- how diligent she is in preparation, working with other board members and providing good advice and feedback, our board members do.  She is the epitome of a public servant -- not looking for self-promotion -- but doing the hard work to be well informed and make the best decision for all of us. 

Rob Bellitto, who serves as the current Vice Chairman, is an attorney and brings a much needed different perspective to our board. I admire Rob for his independence, his careful consideration of the issues and his commitment to do what he believes is right -- whether or not it is popular -- a selfless and admirable trait in any public official.  

Rob also serves as Chairman of our budget sub-committee and, in that role, has been instrumental in improving the budget process each and every year. His efforts have made a great contribution in making a difficult process more efficient and to help the board reach more informed decisions.  

In Mary and Rob, Fairfield is lucky to have two individuals who put others before themselves and bring unique talents and dedication to our board.  I am quite lucky to benefit from their talents from the front row. I urge you to support them and look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.  

The caucus is held on July 23 from 4 pm until 8 pm at Ludlowe High School.

Regards,

Tom Flynn, Chairman – Fairfield Board of Finance