Letter To The Editor: Former Selectman Tom Flynn Thanks Fairfield

The following open letter to the Fairfield community is from former Board of Selectman member Tom Flynn:

To the people of Fairfield,

I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve the town, first on the Board of Finance, and most recently, on the Board of Selectman, for the past 18 years. It has been my honor and if the town got half as much out of my tenure as I did personally, I consider my time a success.

Serving in government, (and I do see it as a service), is noble, rewarding, challenging, sometimes difficult, but always fun. If you are open-minded, always try to do what is in the best interest of the town and insist on facts, you can learn more than you can ever imagine. You’re giving me that opportunity is a debt that I cannot repay.

Town government requires a great deal of time outside of your general work life and the sacrifice and support of many.

First and foremost, thank you to my family for supporting me, organizing schedules around my commitments, and listening to all the phone calls, conversations in supermarkets, etc. There is nothing like a house full of teenagers to remind you that, in fact, you don’t know it all and you
are not that big a deal.

You do not win elections alone and I have been so fortunate to have the support of so many friends, (local and around the world) – financial, time, sweat equity, expertise, wise counsel, humor and keeping me grounded. I would like to name all of them, but I am afraid I would forget someone, and I don’t want to do that. You know who you are. Thank you so much.

Thank you to the Fairfield Republican Party for supporting me in four different elections for town-wide office. The group has changed through the years, but the support has not wavered. I learned so much from the earlier generation, my contemporaries and the generation that is coming up. I am optimistic about the future.

My colleagues through the years on the Board of Finance and the Board of Selectman. As I have said many times, I was lucky to sit among you, to have your wise counsel and, most importantly, your friendship and camaraderie. There were times when we disagreed, vehemently! But I cannot remember a time when we were disagreeable. The town was lucky to have all of you, as was I, and I thank you all for your service.

My colleagues on other Boards and commissions as well as the town’s Dept Heads, thank you for your time, your expertise, and your dedication. Your efforts, day in and day out, help make Fairfield all that it is, and I enjoyed working with you.

To the new Board of Selectman and other elected officials, I wish you the best as you confront
the challenges of the next several years. As we have seen the town, the state and our country will face many issues, known and unknown. My hope for you is that you make decisions that are in the best interests of Fairfield as a whole.

We are lucky to live in the best town in, not just the State of Connecticut, but the country. Our strength comes from the dedication of its people to ‘step up’ and do what is right for all. It has
been an honor to play my part in that.

I will not say goodbye to public service forever, as I have no plans and do not know what the future holds. For now, I will just say: ‘Thank You – and see you further up the road’.

Respectfully,
Tom Flynn