On Tuesday November 3rd, Fairfielders will have the opportunity to vote for candidates up for election on the Board of Education and the Representative Town Meeting. These are important elections for both entities. The Board of Education is tasked with hiring a new superintendent of the school district, and the RTM will be faced with another tight budget. Your vote is meaningful. In light of this, we will be interviewing the candidates, and posting individual Q&A to help voters understand who the candidates are and what they stand for. To ensure you do not miss an article, subscribe to HeyFairfield’s daily newsletter in the box at the top of the righthand column. Today’s Q&A is for Democrat RTM candidate David Cullen – Ed
Democrat David Cullen is running for re-election to the RTM in District 7. He is currently serving his first term with the RTM. Mr. Cullen holds a BA from Iona College and is a journalist for Penton. He is a North Stratfield PTA Member, Cub Scout Den Leader and a member of the Stratfield Village Association. Mr. Cullen currently resides in Fairfield with his wife and two children.
David Cullen’s Re-Election Facebook Page
Why do you want to serve on the RTM?
I think the RTM is central to everything that goes on in town. Every major issue, school budget, zoning issues, and development of town recreation opportunities. It is a place where you can intersect with all the activities that are going on in town and have an impact on how things move forward in town.
What is the most immediate issue facing the RTM this coming term?
The biggest issue will be to more greatly influence the Education budget, since it amounts to the lionshare of the town’s budget. The feeling of RTM members is they have to vote to take away a chunk of money, but they don’t have a say in what is cut. This can make difficult for RTM members to feel comfortable cutting the school budget.
How does your experience best address that issue?
My experience as a parent of children in the school system comes into play, and as a Board Member of the North Stratfield School PTA and the Fairfield Woods PTSA. Also as a member of the RTM Education & Recreation Committee helps me get a handle on the budget process.
After that issue, what other priorities need to be addressed, and how will you impact that?
A major issue that will be crucial to the Town will be the how to manage growth. It’s not entirely up to the RTM, but the RTM can play a significant role in how the town’s development moves forward. Will it be done in a way that both keeps the character of the town intact, while making it an attractive place to live in and to do business in, especially for small businesses.
What other Town bodies and commissions do you think need to be involved with the RTM?
Most critically is the Board of Education and the Board of Finance, and it would be helpful if there was more interaction with the TP&Z committee. If there was more interaction between the Board of Finance, the Board of Education, the RTM and the TP&Z, we would be able to make decisions more holistically.
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