November 9, 2023
To the editor:
I wanted to take a moment to once again thank all the voters who came out on Tuesday and re-elected me to serve another term on the Derby Board of Education. I want you to know that I never take your vote for granted and that each vote that I receive is very important to me. I have always done my best to represent the citizens of our great town. I try my hardest to follow up on each phone call, text, e‑mail or social media message. I truly care about each and every one of your concerns and I hope that shows.
I am hopeful for the future direction of our city and where we are headed. I am hopeful that civility, debate, and a healthy exchange of ideas is once again possible. It was also very nice to see more voters come out during this municipal election than two years ago. I hope that this trend continues because Derby only benefits by hearing the collective voice of its people. I was also excited to see how many first-time candidates were elected on Tuesday. Public service is worthwhile as well as important and it is always so much easier to sit at home and criticize than to throw your hat in the ring and enter the world of public service. I wish all the candidates who were elected on Tuesday much luck in the upcoming two years.
Finally, to all the candidates who ran for office, a sincere thank you. I ran for office my first time in 1987 and have been running consistently ever since. I understand the hard work, effort and emotional roller coaster that goes into running for office. Regardless of which “row” you ran on, I tip my hat to you. It is never easy to do the work, put yourself out there and then sit back and wait to see how the day progresses. Regardless of how you made out on Tuesday, our town is better based upon your participation, your willingness to exchange ideas and most importantly your willingness to put your name on the ballot.
Finally, again, regardless of which “row” you ran on, now is the time to come together, to work together and to move our city forward.
Jim Gildea
Chair, Derby Board of Education
Editor’s note: Letters include the opinions of the letter writer, not The Valley Indy. Letters are not news articles. There is a 550-word maximum. The Valley Indy did not publish letters during the election season in an effort to maintain civility and to avoid accusations of libel.
