Town Council Candidate: Bruce Flax

Editor's note: Seventeen candidates are running for 9 seats on the Groton Town Council on Nov. 8. Below is a Q&A with one of the candidates.

Name:  Bruce Flax

Age:  47

Education:  Bachelors of business administration, George Washington University, Washington, DC.

Work Experience:  Director of ticket operations, Foxwoods Resort Casino, 1994 to present.

Civic/Political Experience:  Town councilor since 2008.  Chairman, Personnel, Appointments and Rules Committee; chairman, Noank School Reuse Task Force; member, Town Ethics Committee

Family:  Married, four children, ages 9, 10, 12 and 14

Why are you running for this office?  I am running for Town Council to continue with the business I have been involved with during my three years on council, to actively participate and give back to the town I live in.

Three years ago, I decided it was time to get more involved in -- and find a way to give back to -- the town I live in. I was fortunate to be appointed onto the council and then get elected to a spot on the Town Council. Now, my primary focus is to continue with the work that has been started during my time on the council.

There are many challenges ahead of us, some of which are clearly long-term situations. I want to keep working toward a solution that is best for everyone in Groton, to finish what I have started. It's not going to happen overnight, and I am committed to making it work.  

What do you believe is the greatest challenge Groton faces today, and what would you do to meet this challenge?  The greatest challenge is the budget and ultimately, property taxes.  Our schools need a plan, the town and board of education budget continue to get squeezed, our roads are cracking, we fund three police departments and three public works departments, Pfizer has cut staff and we just don’t know for sure how long they will stay, and we do not know from one year to the next how much we will receive from the State.  The situation is frustrating on every level.

It will be very difficult for the town to successfully survive on less money, especially when one factors in the line items that automatically increase each year (pay and union contracts, retirement accounts, etc.).  Everyone has an opinion as to what service or services are most important to them. 

I have looked at the budget like it is my business and I have attempted, during the budget process, to cut what I have felt is excess or a duplication of services.  I have learned that people are passionate about their service expectations and fight hard not to see something cut.  I also see inconsistency in budget accountability by some councilors.  It is a convoluted process and the budget remains, at a very high level, the major issue in Groton.

I will meet the budget challenge by continuing to try to find ways to save money.

How would you rate the performance of the current board overall, and what, if anything, would you do differently?  The current council is a good working unit. What some may not know is that we established a plan that included nine specific goals. I'm happy to say we realized more than half of them during our two years. Each councilor brings a unique set of strengths to the table, and that's what gave us a strong, cohesive unit.

We had open, thorough debates, rarely landing on a 9-0 vote on anything. I continue to learn more about the process, what people want and what I think is best for the town. I look forward to bringing that information to the council as we do our best to guide the town in these uncertain times.

I rate the current Council’s performance as very good, with room to get better.