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10/30/2023 02:34 PMDeep River voters will head to the polls to cast their ballots on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7. Among the races, the town’s top spot, first selectman, is up for grabs. Republican Kathryn Russell faces Carolyn Jones.
The candidates talked with the Valley Courier to share their backgrounds and accomplishments, the kind of leadership Chester deserves, and what makes them proud to be members of their communities. The statement’s below were written by the candidates and edited for style and grammar by the Courier’s editorial staff.
Carolyn Jones, Democrat
I am the Democratic candidate for first selectman and am seeking your vote.
I bring to this position years of dedicated and proven service to the town through my many volunteer positions and my current position as director of Parks and Recreation. I have lived, paid taxes, and voted in Deep River since 1994. I am passionate about Deep River and commit to working every day to better our great small town.
I possess the skills and experience to be your first selectman. My work in Deep River began when I first stepped up to volunteer over 25 years ago. From that experience, I learned that volunteers are the lifeblood of our community. I will work to make sure all residents know that they can and are needed to participate in the work of our town through membership on boards and commissions. I will reach out and find all folks who are ready to contribute.
For the past 12 years, I have worked in Town Hall as the director of Parks and Recreation. Under my leadership, Parks and Rec’s offerings have grown with an array of expanded year-round activities, and our work has improved with online registration and established policies. As first selectman, I will support current and new programs offered through our public library and Parks and Recreation. Working in Town Hall has given me the opportunity to know the workings of town government.
I know that every dollar collected and spent is a hard-earned dollar, and many residents live on a fixed income. I will work closely with all town departments to ensure that the town budget is based on need, is fair, and is forward-thinking. During my tenure with the town, I have helped secure approximately $1 million in grant money for the town. I will continue to collaborate with our state legislators to secure state monies that are available through grants, special awards, and bonding to help Deep River.
Excellent schools are an invaluable asset to our community. I believe that children are our future and that we should give them the gift of excellent education. My four children went through our schools, and I strongly support education. However, I know that education accounts for a major portion of the town budget and that we should also seek to provide it in the most efficient way possible. I am committed to working with all stakeholders to find solutions so that our schools are not only outstanding but reflect our demographics and are sustainable to our taxpayers.
As first selectman, I will look to expand our tax base while maintaining our small-town feel and quality of life. I support an invigorated Economic Development Commission and will work to secure grant money to hire an economic development consultant. I want Deep River center to be attractive and vibrant and our town marketed as a great place to do business so that all commercial spaces are occupied. I will explore creating a public-private partnership to revitalize North Main Street with mixed-use buildings. With limited industrial space currently available, I will look to build another incubator building to welcome start-up manufacturing to town. I will establish a dialogue with the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation to address speeding on Main Street following their recent traffic study.
I am an active member of the Deep River Sustainable CT committee, and I support efforts to make Deep River a truly sustainable community as we identify additional ways to reduce our household waste. I will partner with both the Deep River Land Trust and River Gateway Commission to protect our environment and support open space purchases.
I will continue to ensure that essential town services are delivered efficiently and effectively. I will see that your roads are plowed when snow arrives, a road maintenance program is planned and executed, and our parks are maintained and safe. I support our first responders.
I will be a leader who listens and communicates. I will hold “coffee hours” to solicit ideas and feedback and will send monthly updates from the selectman office. My door will be open; I believe in respectful dialogue. I always want to be part of the solution to any problem.
My life and work in Deep River have prepared me to be your first selectman, and I am ready to be on the job and go to work for you on day one. Yes, I have a college degree with two majors in the sciences. I have worked as a teacher and an environmental consultant for major corporations. I have performed project management and data analysis for large-scale jobs, but my satisfaction comes from working in, giving back, and being part of this wonderful community where at a town event, I can say hello to my neighbors and their families and share in the bond of our love and appreciation of living in this gem of a town, located along the banks of the Connecticut River.
My campaign slogan is “work, not talk,” as that sums up my work ethic. I will serve the town in a similar fashion to former First Selectman Richard Smith, as I will roll up my sleeves and do whatever it takes to get the job done.
I respectfully ask for your vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7, to keep Deep River moving forward.
Kathryn Russell, Republican
Qualifications and Experience
Kathryn has solid education and business management experience, which directly applies to the task of town leadership. She has an MBA from Wharton and decades of management experience where she developed the skills to think strategically, manage effectively, resolve conflicts, and bring teams to a point of consensus. In the leadership positions she held at American Express, AT&T Wireless, and Aetna, she managed budgets of $60 million and teams of 30-plus.
Kathryn also has a solid history of community and volunteer work. She taught marketing as an adjunct professor at UConn, served on the boards of United Way Tri-State and the New York chapter of the American Red Cross, and did literacy tutoring for elementary students from homes where Spanish was the primary language spoken by immigrant families. Locally, Kathryn is on the Deep River Library Board of Trustees, a member of the Deep River Rotary, served on Deep River’s Affordable Housing Ad Hoc Committee, serves on the Investment Committee of the Deep River Congregational Church, and volunteers at the Shoreline Soup Kitchen.
She has owned her house in Deep River for 20 years, having bought it from her late aunt, Emy Marvin, a former second selectwoman of Deep River.
Kathryn Russell’s Priorities as First Selectwoman
Strive for Lower Taxes: This is the top concern of the 1,200-plus residents I have spoken with when going door-to-door asking, “What’s on your mind?” I will approach this concern through a combination of economic growth and vigorous cost control.
Intelligent Economic Development and Growth: I plan to work with leaders in town to execute a plan of structured outreach to key industries and businesses to expand the tax-paying business base in Deep River. This work will focus on process and communication redesign to clearly share the message, “Deep River is business-friendly.”
Cost Control: I will examine town programs and processes to determine how they can operate more cost-efficiently. As education is 69% of our budget, I will work closely with our school boards and the regional superintendent to maintain the quality of the education provided while reducing the cost of education delivery.
Management with a Maintenance Mindset: I will examine each property the town owns, look at each building and property’s current maintenance schedule, and assess the life of the various elements of the property. I will foster a maintenance mindset throughout town operations.
Revitalization of Boards and Committee: Volunteers are the lifeblood of our boards and committees, and we are fortunate to have many dedicated residents serving on our boards. I will involve a broader spectrum of the community to ensure that a diversity of thought and skill is engaged in working on our town issues. I plan on regular discussions between various boards and the Board of Selectmen to align the various board activities with the overarching priorities of our town.
Strategic Plan Integration/Efficient Program Execution: As first selectwoman, I plan to put the strategic planning, leadership, and communication skills I learned over a successful business career to work for you. I will encourage each board, commission, and work team to clearly identify their top strategic goals, and I will make these goals readily accessible to the public. I will integrate the vision, priorities, and projects detailed in our various plans, structure program reviews, and drive accountability for program execution.
Safety: I will work with the State Department of Transportation, local law enforcement officers, our merchants, and residents to address the issue of speeding on multiple roads in our town (Main Street, Rattling Valley Road, Union Street, Spring Street, West Elm Street).
Direct and Clear Communications: I will review the current methods of town communications and figure out how they can be streamlined and improved to make it easier for you to know the important issues. I will ensure that issues, meetings, and communications are handled with transparency and accountability. I commit to asking the hard questions and working toward consensus.
Respect: As first selectwoman, I plan to put my marketing and communication skills to work. I will always listen to you, show you respect, and follow up on your issues.
Keep the Focus on Deep River, not on politics: It will be a key priority for me to work across party lines with Democrats, Republicans, the unaffiliated, the uninterested, and those totally turned off by the state of politics in our country today. With less than 5,000 people in our town, we are too small to be driven by partisan politics or fractured by national issues that cannot be solved on the local level.
When you make your decision on Nov. 7, please choose Deep River’s next leader by her skills, education, and experience rather than by her political party alone.”