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The Benefits of Preparation

I love the three villages of Essex! I hope your readers will consider supporting me for a position on the Board of Selectman on Nov. 3. As a community, we don’t have too many issues, and now is the time to position ourselves for the future.

Our elementary school population has decreased by 25 percent in the last five years. Meanwhile, our median age will go from 52 to 58 in the next 10 years. How do we position ourselves to ensure that all age demographics are adequately served in the future? Those are questions we should be asking now.

From my time at the United States Naval Academy through my 24 year career as an officer in the Navy, I have seen the benefits of preparation. I have collaboratively planned humanitarian missions to South America and the Western Pacific. I have also served on the U.S. Navy’s command ship in the Mediterranean during the attacks on Benghazi. One might say that these experiences are unrelated to local governance, but one might also say that a humanitarian mission is unrelated to the military. It is only through flexibility that these challenges were addressed.

I will bring that flexibility with me to the Board of Selectman. I look forward to using that flexibility, coupled with my experience in collaborative planning to address not only our shifting age demographic, but any and all challenges that Essex may face in the future. I encourage your readers to consider supporting me on Nov. 3.

Phil Beckman

Ivoryton

Phil Beckman is the Republican candidate for selectman in the November election.