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Doing A Great Job

I am writing in support of George Chang for the Old Saybrook Board of Finance.

I wrote an endorsement letter for George 16 years ago when he ran for the Board of Education (BOE) because I believed so strongly in his ability to strategically and intelligently make decisions that would strengthen our schools into the future.

And now, George, who so willingly gave his time and talents to the BOE all these years, has stepped down and is running for the Board of Finance (BOF)!

While on the BOE, he was integral to setting the priorities for our schools; furthermore, as chair of the BOE’s Budget and Finance Committee, he was responsible for allocating resources to fund those priorities.

His skill set is perfect for the Board of Finance, where he will bring his strategic outlook to our town’s budgeting process, one he calls “Budget the plan, don’t plan the budget.”

While searching for available funds for Old Saybrook schools, George familiarized himself with cash rebates available under the Inflation Reduction Act for installing clean energy systems in municipalities. George, as part of the BOF, plans to take a deep dive into these programs to determine the financial feasibility of OS taking steps to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This is the kind of forward-facing, pragmatic thinking we need.

As he says, the town’s absolute priorities need to be determined, a plan developed, and funding allocated for that plan – we can’t always afford everything we want. George’s judicious, decisive, and analytical approach to strategic planning, as well as to the critical financial component, is exactly what’s needed on our town’s BOF.

I hope others will join me in voting for Democrat George Chang for the Board of Finance. He’s going to do a great job!

Karen Christman

Old Saybrook