Westbrook Democratic Town Committee
P.O. Box 417
Westbrook, CT 06498
email: wdtc@snet.net
July 26, 2011
The Westbrook Democratic Town Committee has put forward a number of very qualified candidates for the November election. They include both experienced incumbents and individuals who have not previously been involved in government, but have been active in the community. They have strong credentials and great ideas. It is a group of talented individuals who will bring great vitality to the Democratic ticket and to town government. We are confident they will work in the best interest of the Town of Westbrook.
Unfortunately, we will not be putting up a candidate for First Selectman at this time. Although we did have a very qualified candidate, that person eventually came to the personal decision that this was not the time in that individual's life to take on this position. This serves to point out what we believe is a concern that we should all share. There are currently just a little over 4,000 total voters in the Town of Westbrook. This is the entire pool from which we must find someone with the professional background and expertise to manage the intricacies of a town with a total budget of over 25 million dollars. We cannot expect to be lucky enough on a continuing basis to find someone who can step into this position with the appropriate knowledge base and professional expertise and who is willing to do it at a salary that is not commensurate with the qualifications that we seek. This is simply not in the best interest of the town or the townspeople. It’s time to look at our form of government and move in a direction that will keep the policy decisions with the people and their elected officials, but give us the professional management expertise that we deserve.