As Derby voters, you are being asked to vote for me, or for my opponent. You can judge us by what you know of us personally, what you’ve read about us in the press, and by what you’ve seen us do, but how do you pick the best person for Mayor unless you understand what exactly the Mayor does and what he needs to accomplish?
By City Charter, my duty is to serve as Derby’s chief executive officer. I recommend the adoption of all such measures connected with the police, security, health, cleanliness and general well being of the city and the improvement of its government and finances. I look out for the residents of Derby and help to improve their quality of life.
I preside over and work with the Board of Aldermen who are empowered by the charter to make our laws. I am an ex-oficio member of the Tax Board who, by charter, sets the mill rate. I work along with the City Treasurer to prepare and deliver the annual financial report.
I feel that just as important as the legal powers granted to me by the City Charter, are the intangible duties that go with being Mayor. I must be ever vigilant, I must encourage my team to step up, I must be there to answer the publics’ questions, I must explain when things go wrong and do my best to set them right, I must show up at all public events to represent our City, and most importantly I must establish a path of success for the City to follow and communicate that vision to my team and the citizens of Derby.
Luckily I don’t have to accomplish all of the above by myself. I am the leader of a team of dedicated officials and employees that make it all happen. By Charter I am charged with appointing Corporation Counsel, a Health Officer, a Tax Collector, a Street Commissioner, three Police Commissioners, a Fire Commissioner, a Building Official, and several others.
The Mayor also typically selects his own secretary and chief of staff. The other elected officials are the foundation of the team: the Board of Aldermen, the Tax Board, and the Board of Education.
And we can’t forget the many city and school employees who serve Derby and do a wonderful job. Together with my team, we take care of business and I am blessed to have an especially good and experienced team.
The job of Mayor is defined, by our Charter, to be a part-time position. Yet, I generally find myself putting in more than 8 hours a day to get everything done. I care about my City and the residents who live here and I know they depend on me. I want to continue as Mayor simply because I love the City of Derby. It is my home, and I want to keep it safe and prosperous. I have the experience needed to be Mayor and it would be an honor to continue to serve the people of Derby.
The writer is a Republican running for re-election as Derby’s mayor.
Editor’s note: The Valley Indy welcomes ‘guest columns’ from those running for local office. We take each submission on a case-by-case basis. We’ll print up to two a month per candidate. We ask that the columns offer positions and solutions, as opposed to simply criticizing an opponent. We insist on a 500-word limit. If a political opponent takes issue with a guest column, responses are encouraged in our comment section. We encourage candidates to register with Facebook with your first and last name to post a response here. We will not post your responses for you.
