2001 Candidates
Joanne MurrayBoard of Finance
2001 Candidates
Joanne Murray
I am running for the Ridgefield Board of Finance because I possess both the academic and business qualifications to provide leadership on this board. My academic credentials include an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and an M.B.A., both from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In addition, I have 17 years of corporate experience at one of the world’s leading computer manufacturing companies in which I have held a variety of technical, financial, and management positions. Currently, I manage the Americas I/T Training Organization-- a business of approximately 300 employees that generates $200 million in revenue annually.
As defined by the Town Charter, the primary responsibility of the Board of Finance is to prudently manage the fiscal matters of the town and to keep the town in a “sound overall financial condition”(Article X, Section 10-2). I believe the board has an additional responsibility to work cooperatively with the Board of Selectmen and Board of Education to achieve the goals of the community. For the next four years, the most significant challenge facing the Board of Finance is to curb the rising tax rates and rising debt while simultaneously driving to achieve the goals of our community - support our schools, preserve open space, and ensure that the elderly can afford to stay in town. This is a huge challenge that can only be accomplished by finding innovative ways to generate new revenue sources.
In lieu of raising the taxes of current residents and businesses, we need to accelerate the process of generating incremental revenue. We began this process by voting “YES” on the recent Bennett’s Pond referendum. The corporate development of the southern parcel will be a significant fund of future revenue to our town, while the preservation of the northern parcel will protect our community from future residential overcrowding. In addition, we need to continue to fund improvements using grants - this is how the town has secured funds to install an elevator in the Town Hall. Lastly, we need to be prepared to rebalance the current appropriations in the budget to support the town’s changing needs.
There are no easy answers to the financial challenges facing our community. To address these challenges, I have teamed with a seasoned executive and former Selectman, Mike Jones. Mike and I are committed to work in partnership with the other boards, to manage prudently the expenditures of our town, and to focus simultaneously on innovative ways of generating incremental revenue.
Brought to you by the Ridgefield, Ct.
Democratic Town Committee, Susan D. Cocco, Chairman
Paid for by The Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee, Edwin C. Pearson, Treasurer
2001 Candidates