Ridgefield Candidates '97
Board of Selectmen

Mike Jones

While the Democratic caucus was a noisy affair, on one matter the caucus was united: the need to bring a fresh voice and fresh ideas to town government. With that in mind, the caucus endorsed Mr. Michael D. Jones as one of its two candidates for Board of Selectmen.

Michael Jones is Vice President of R.M. Jones & Co., Inc., his family-owned business based in Bristol, Ct. A cluster of four diverse businesses centered around environmental issues, Mr. Jones, who is often called "Jonesy", has been personally responsible for helping many well-known corporations phase-out ozone-depleting chemicals. As an businessperson serving an international market, he travels to every corner of the globe, helping engineers solve complex technical and environmental issues.

In his ten years with the Jones Company businesses, he has grown the firm from $3 million annually to about $30 million -- a budget which is very similar to Ridgefield's non-education budget. He was recently a finalist in the prestigious "Entrepreneur of the Year" award given by Ernst and Young, the multinational business consulting firm.

Before returning to the family business, Mr. Jones spent twelve years in the telecommunications and computer industries, including opening a chain of computer stores for and working a long stint at AT&T and NYNEX. His last position was as President of a small software company owned by NYNEX which was based in Seattle. "I am probably one of the few people to ever move to Seattle and then move back East," Mr. Jones explains. "As pretty as it is out there, for a real Connecticut Yankee there's nothing as pretty as the hills of New England."

Mr. Jones also spent some time in less attractive places: Southeast Asia at the end of the Vietnam War. He served as an air traffic controller at a remote hilltop radar site during the evacuation of Saigon, directing rescue operations and controlling air-to-air refueling flights. "That's when I realized I could handle stress," he smiles.

As a six-year resident of the town, Mr. Jones has had plenty of time to become familiar with the issues and traditions of Ridgefield. He feels the town faces a variety of critical issues."The answers," he said. "will be found in a global perspective, using 21st-century tools and ideas." His key issues include:

• Educational System -- The school system has to be protected and enhanced, yet made more cost-effective within the generous budget the Town provides. Strong, business-like leadership from the Board of Selectmen can help the town avoid expensive dead-ends like the failed Middle School project;

• Town Operations -- The town's daily operations must be made more open, accessible and businesslike. "We need to open the town hall in every way," he notes, "and make our town a truly participatory government where everyone's voice is heard." This is the fastest and easiest way to help the town government become more efficient and responsive to its customers, the voters.

• Environmental Issues -- While everyone agrees the Town must be protected from rapacious overdevelopment, the Town also needs to worry about less visible environmental issues, such as the major underground pollution problems which are flowing under property boundaries, septic systems leaching into public waters, and the protection of wetlands.

• Electronic Infrastructure -- Ridgefield's technology infrastructure must be rebuilt to meet the needs of the next century. This includes the SNET systems, the cable TV systems, and the technology systems in the schools --- even the computer systems used by the Town are in poor shape. The lack of the proper technology will prevent the town from being an attractive place to live and work in the 21st centuy.

The candidate was raised about 40 miles east of Ridgefield in Avon, Ct. 47 years old, he earned his B.A. at Grove City (PA) College and his M.B.A. from Columbia University in New York City. Mr. Jones has been involved in Democratic party activities almost from the first moment he moved back from Seattle. He and his wife Annie (a Republican!!) live on High Ridge with their dalmatian Pepper; Mike enjoys sushi on Tuesdays.

The Ridgefield Democrats are pleased to encourage their friends and neighbors to vote for a fresh voice with new ideas: select Mike "Jonesy" Jones on November 4th.

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