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05/23/2019 12:00 AMMadison First Selectman Tom Banisch (R) hopes to keep the corner office for another two years. This afternoon, Banisch formally announced he is seeking a third term as first selectmen in the upcoming November 2019 municipal elections.
“I’d like to announce my intention to run, once again for first selectman of Madison,” he said. “I thank you for the trust and the confidence you’ve shown in me and I promise to continue to work hard both here in town and at the state Capitol to fight for what’s best for Madison.”
Banisch made the announcement at Town Campus offices before a group of Republicans and town elected officials and town staff. Banisch kept his speech short.
“Almost four years ago, I stood here and asked for the opportunity to earn your support,” he said. “In those four years, I’ve worked hard to live up to your expectations. We’ve faced many challenges as a town, some because of the chronic problems at the state level, and we’ve come through them with hard work and cooperation. As a result, I have a record that I’m proud to run on.”
Banisch pointed to success in developing regional partnerships during his time in office as well as an aggressive road paving program—accomplishments he said that might not always make the front page but matter a lot to residents. In his speech, Banisch also addressed challenges facing the state as a whole.
“The state’s fiscal woes are no better, and there are major issues that need to be addressed both in Madison and at the state level, as the economy in Connecticut continues to stumble,” he said. “New, unfunded mandates continue to come down from Hartford, including storm water management, education, senior services and minimum wage, which will impact our budget. Our PILOT [Payment in Lieu of Taxes] funds from the state continue to dry up, even as the crowds at Hammonasset State Park grow…We’ve managed to keep the town’s tax increases to a modest level, but property owners need relief. And we need to continue to improve our infrastructure. We’ve made good progress over the past four years, but there’s more to do.”
In his speech, Banisch highlighted the need for fiscal planning to maintain and improve Madison’s assets and referenced the need to adopt a capital funding regulation recently proposed by the Town Finance Director Stacy Nobitz.
“The town is facing many large capital project needs in the near future, and potential bonded projects are coming our way that will impact our annual debt service,” he said. “As first selectman, I believe we need to develop a plan that will preserve and enhance the quality of life in our beautiful community, while always keeping the impact to the taxpayers in mind.”
Banisch will lead the Republican ticket in November and the rest of the Republican slate will likely be announced in the coming months. Earlier this month the Madison Democratic Town committee announced that Peggy Lyons would be the Democratic candidate for first selectman in this upcoming election.