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[October 2017] Marpe promises fiscal protection if re-elected

Melanie Lust ’19

As November rolls around the corner, so do municipal elections. Local candidates have been preparing and campaigning for months – among them are Republican incumbent Jim Marpe and his running mate Jennifer Tooker.

As a former management consultant and Board of Education member, Marpe is running for re-election after four years of serving as the town’s first selectman.

“I decided to run four years ago because I love Westport and I wanted to ensure that it remains a vibrant, unique, successful town,” Marpe said.

He wishes to continue implementing responsible fiscal policies in order to protect Westport and its schools from financial issues at the state level.

“I want to be sure we secure Westport’s financial future by practicing fiscal discipline and responsible management, and that allows us to protect our schools from budget cuts,” he said. “That ensures we can continue to provide the quality education that everyone who lives in Westport has come to expect.”

He asserts that this election is critical to Westport’s future due to the state fiscal crisis. Marpe feels this issue could threaten many aspects of Westport that its citizens regularly enjoy. Connecticut closed the last fiscal year with a 22.7 million dollar deficit, forcing funds towards many towns and schools to be reduced significantly; it is also the only state that has not yet passed an annual budget.

For public schools, he believes financial security can assist with relieving pressure and competition by providing greater opportunities to students, saying students should “find the path that you want to follow” as opposed to limiting themselves due to a lack of opportunities. “The only way we can have that flexibility is appropriately funding the schools,” Marpe added.

Going forward, Marpe wants to continue to work closely with Superintendent Palmer and the Staples administration to fulfill this goal. Specifically, he plans to combine a variety of operational activities – such as accounting, personnel management and computer system management, among others – in order to save time and money.

“If I can save taxpayers money by working together with the schools to do administrative functions, then that frees up money to be directed towards educational-type activities. That’s the real goal here,” he said.

As Election Day draws near, Marpe maintains that his experience is his greatest asset. “Because of the state’s ongoing budget crisis, and whatever new challenges are presented to us, I don’t believe this is a time to be learning on the job,” he said. “I think I have that experience that makes a difference and already a track record of success.”

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