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A Period of Stagnation

As a young person growing up in Madison, I was quick to brag about my hometown—great schools, beautiful beaches, and a community that worked hard together to keep it that way. It was hard to be humble when it came to comparisons of shoreline towns.

Now in my early 30s and living here once again, I wish I could say I feel exactly the same. Don’t get me wrong, I still love Madison and firmly believe it can become the shoreline’s shining star. For that to happen, however, there has to be a significant change in leadership.

For the past four years, we have witnessed a period of stagnation unlike any I can recall from my youth. Our schools (still staffed by the best educators in the state) are housing students in increasingly antiquated buildings. Meanwhile our student population is contracting at an alarming rate—faster than our nearest neighbors who have recently made sizable investments in facilities improvements. While first selectman candidate Peggy Lyons has made it clear this issue is of the utmost importance, First Selectman Tom Banisch has not.

Once a key component of our beautiful downtown landscape, Academy School sits empty and dilapidated as a daily reminder of how little the town has progressed since Mr. Banisch was elected. Ms. Lyons has made it clear the community voice has been heard and she will bring a plan for Academy School to referendum and allow our votes to fairly decide its future, whatever that may be.

I am still proud to call Madison my hometown. I will be prouder still in November if we elect Peggy Lyons as first selectman and move past this period of stagnation. I hope your readers will all join me in this effort.

Mike Shirley

Madison