Banisch Decision In on Seeking 3rd Term As Madison 1st Selectman

MADISON, CT - Republican First Selectman Tom Banisch Thursday made it official - he wants another term leading the town of Madison.

Banisch is not the first candidate in the race as Peggy Lyons recently announced her candidacy for the office of First Selectman in Madison at the regular meeting of the Madison Democratic Town Committee on May 13, 2019. ''

Here is Banisch's complete statement about his decision:

Good Afternoon. Thank you for coming out today. As many of you know, I’m not someone who likes to give long speeches, so I’ll keep this brief.

"Almost four years ago, I stood here and asked for the opportunity to earn your support. In those four years, I’ve worked hard to live up to your expectations. We’ve faced many challenges as a town, some because of the chronic problems at the state level, and we’ve come through them with hard work and cooperation. As a result, I have a record that I’m proud to run on.

"However, more challenges lie ahead. The state’s fiscal woes are no better, and there are major issues that need to be addressed both in Madison and at the state level, as the economy in CT continues to stumble. New unfunded mandates continue to come down from Hartford, Including Storm water management, Education, Senior Services and Minimum Wage, which will impact our budget. Our PILOT funds from the state continue to dry up, even as the crowds at Hammonasset State Park grow. And there are other problems that Hartford will try to foist on us including Legalized Marijuana, Tolls and the Teacher’s Pensions.

"We’ve managed to keep the Town’s tax increases to a modest level, but property owners need relief. And we need to continue to improve our infrastructure. We’ve made good progress over the past four years, but there’s more to do.

"The Town is facing many large capital project needs in the near future, and potential bonded projects are coming our way that will impact our annual debt service. As First Selectman, I believe we need to develop a plan that will preserve and enhance the quality of life in our beautiful community, while always keeping the impact to the taxpayers in mind.

"We need to begin looking at our annual Debt Service and our current pay-as-you-go philosophy as one budgeted line item. If we do this, we can build up capital project reserve balances prior to any additional debt service coming on board.

"By looking at pay-as-you-go and debt service as one, we will be able to shift funding between the two, eliminating large peaks and valleys in our Budget and Mill Rate, therefore keeping our taxes predictable. This is probably one of the most important initiatives we need to consider.

"In conclusion, I’d like to announce my intention to run, once again for First Selectman of Madison. I thank you for the trust and the confidence you’ve shown in me and I promise to continue to work hard both here in town and at the state Capitol to fight for what’s best for Madison. "