Meet Christopher Brannigan, An Independent Running For Upper Dublin School Board

UPPER DUBLIN, PA — Patch continues its pre-election coverage with a profile of Christopher Brannigan, an independent candidate for Upper Dublin School Board.

Read below Brannigan's responses to a Patch candidate questionnaire.

Age (as of Election Day)

47

Party Affiliation

Independent

Family

My oldest is a freshman at UDHS and my youngest is in 7th grade at Sandy Run

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Saint Joseph’s University

Occupation

Founder and Owner of Delaware Valley Hearing Aid Services - 14 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

www.udunited.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I want to bring a more pragmatic approach to budget planning. I simply refuse to
accept that annual budgets must start with a tax increase and end with a revenue shortfall is the only way to operate.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Taxes. Upper Dublin is pricing our seniors and super seniors out of the community. I see and hear stories daily about the impact 2, 2.5, 3% each and every year have on residents living on a fixed income.
I will ask questions over every expense line item. Every. Single. One. I will approach the job with my business background determined to find savings and eliminate wasteful spending and if programs need to be cut I will not back away from the hard choice. That being said, I hope we can expand student services that are effective and helpful.

I will never say “that’s what we have always done it”

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

First, I’m a registered independent voter. The endorsement of a political party is not something I believe qualifies a candidate for a non political volunteer position.
The fact that I bring a fresh perspective and will make decisions based on my business background is something the current board simply does not have.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

The highest tax increases (tangible dollars not millage %) of any MontCo district, approximately a 50% tax increase over the last 10 years, $191 million and growing debt service, which isn’t solely from construction of a 12 year old high school as many other districts have built new facilities during that time and have kept taxes and debt reasonable.
Upper Dublin has good schools, very good schools but I want to hold ourselves to a higher standard. We cannot reach that standard until our current trend is reversed.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Opposed to the proposed bus depot location, both location and borrowing more debt to finance.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Founder and CEO of a $1 million plus hearing aid service company.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Your eyes are not in the back of your head, so don’t look in the past, your eyes aren’t on the side of your head so don’t look in the present, almighty God put eyes in the front of your head so always look to the future.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

There has been a lot of personal high and low moments during this campaign. I went into this annoyed at the esoteric political endorsement process of a non political position. I felt then, and still do now, that if I could have 10 minutes and a beer, with any open minded voter I would earn their vote. I believe my skill set comes at the right time and place for me to be a great addition to the board.