A Stronger Orange Starts Here

On behalf of our whole team of candidates, I’m so honored to accept your nomination to be our next First Selectman.

When Sarah and I decided to raise our family here, we pulled together every dollar we had for the down payment on our house. It wasn’t easy, but we knew it’d be worth it for the excellent schools and strong community.

Right now, things aren’t so easy, either. Prices are sky-high. Property taxes keep climbing. And decisions in Washington, D.C. are making everything feel less secure.

Meanwhile, our Town Hall continues to delay, stall, and do the bare minimum. We all love this town—but all the love and hope in the world won’t protect us from the challenges coming our way.

And look, I’m not a career politician. I’m a neighbor, a parent, and a problem solver who’s spent his career leading organizations through their toughest problem. Real and lasting solutions don’t happen by accident. They come from collaboration, a clear plan and hard work.

That’s what our team has been doing behind the scenes to put forward our first four priorities today. They are simple, practical steps to deliver better town services and put us on a path to lower property taxes.

First, we’ll create an Economic Development Department in Town Hall. Believe it or not, no one at Town Hall is focused full-time on growing our local economy. This dedicated department will aggressively apply for public and private grants, modernize our commercial areas, like on the Post Road, and support our local farms and businesses and farms. This will give us a more vibrant community and boost our tax revenues, so homeowners aren’t paying for everything in the town budget anymore.

Second, we’ll protect what makes our schools great. The quality of our schools should make everyone proud, and their excellence is also why our property values are so consistently strong. But remember that politically charged letter the Republican Town Committee sent to the Amity Board of Ed this year? That was a clear attempt to pull our schools into their nationalized agenda. We won’t let it happen. We’ll keep education decisions where they belong—with our local families, local school boards, and local educators.

Third, we’ll finally start fixing Fred Wolfe Park. We have waited long enough for safe roads, better parking, and updates to the existing sports fields. Every delay means higher construction costs and missed chances for outside funding. It’s time to break ground with affordable bonding to finance this phase and aggressively pursue public and private grants to keep upgrading the park so that we can all enjoy it for generations.

And fourth, we’ll launch “Orange Connect.” Too many residents are stuck digging through outdated websites or posting on Facebook just to get answers from someone in Town Hall. "Orange Connect" will give everyone one simple place—online or by phone—to report issues and get answers fast, just like the 311 or SeeClickFix systems other towns already use. This is a simple, modern solution to ensure our Town Hall works for everyone.

We’re ready to get started on these first four priorities next year. Altogether, we estimate that these priorities will cost $235,000 per year. We’re committed to paying for these by moving existing dollars around, not by raising taxes again. Take a look at our detailed plans at OrangeCTDems.org/2025. Once you’ve read through it, click the link at the bottom to tell us what you think about them.

These are our first priorities—to work hard for you and with you, every day, across every board and commission. I hope you’ll compare them to the Republican priorities when they’re announced. And yes, I know I’m saying that to a room full of Democrats. But I mean it. Local government should be about people, not politics. I look forward to hearing their ideas. And no matter your party, I hope you’ll ask yourself: “Which plan will make our community stronger?”

But even the best plan isn’t enough. To win, we need you. Tonight, I’m asking each of you—and everyone in your family, everyone of your neighborhood, and everyone in your book group, and everyone in your kids carpool text thread—to do two things:

✅ Sign up to volunteer. We’re only asking for 2 hours per week and there’s an important role for everyone.

✅ Make a donation. Whatever you can give—even $5 or $10—will help us reach more voters.

Over the past two months, I’ve gotten to know these candidates. They’re not running to make a name for themselves or to tear anyone down. They’re running because they love this town. And they will stop at nothing to win—because winning is the only way to protect the reasons we all chose to call Orange home.

But let’s be honest—we’re the underdogs. Just like my wife and I were when we bought our house here 11 years ago. It’s going to take all of us working together to win. Between now and October 20, when early voting begins, we need to reach every single voter with our message. And if we do, I know we’ll deliver the stronger Orange we all deserve.