I’m from Huntington at the north end of the Addison Senate District. My wife and I have been making our home here since 2015 and there is no place we would rather be. We are excited for our 2 year old daughter to grow up and attend school here. Vermont truly is home.
We quickly began to love our town and appreciate how special it is because of all of the outstanding volunteers who make up our boards and committees. Although Huntington is small, there is always someone willing to put in heart, muscle, and time to support the community in the ways we all value the most. Someone steps up to the plate to do the work that needs to be done. In 2018 I challenged myself to step up and serve on the Selectboard so I could try to do my part. I wanted to help guide the Town with making smart, future-forward decisions the preserve the unique natural character of this special place. Looking back as I start my third term on this board I am proud of the work we have done. Year over year we try our very best to maintain the same level of municipal services while also keeping our budget increases to a manageable level. FY24-25 in Huntington is a significant transition year with senior staff but we still managed to limit our budget increase to 4.8%. This past March and the year before, the Huntington town budget passed without objection at town meeting.
What I have seen in my tenure on the Huntington Selectboard is that when you work really hard to balance values with affordability, everyone is happy. Okay, maybe not everyone, but overwhelmingly most people seem to appreciate this approach. Looking at the direction of the Vermont Legislature, this is not the strategy of the ruling supermajority. You have to judge our state government with results and not intentions. With the 13.8% property tax increase now on the shoulders of Vermont families, the scales are not balanced–not even close. This is exactly why I am running for the Senate. I would like to work with every member of the legislature to help craft smart policies that respect both our values and our budgets. This tiny town has proven this is possible and I believe I can help get Montpelier back on the right track.
For the past ten years I have been in the computer software business with a specialty in data management and data analytics. I believe this experience will be very helpful in illustrating some of the disparities we have in Vermont. There are a few alarming trends in Vermont that are being ignored and I believe putting together relevant and high-integrity datasets is an essential tool in policy making today.
I absolutely love living in Vermont and all of the things it has to offer. I love to ski and I can’t wait to get my daughter up to the mountain for the first time this coming winter. I love to cook for my family and take advantage of the bounty of our vibrant local agriculture.
I do not expect this to be easy but I do promise that I will work as hard as I can to make a positive impact on the life of all Vermont residents. With this sentiment I ask each Addison Senate District voter to trust me with your vote. I would be honored to represent you in the Vermont General Assembly this winter.
TLDR: Huntington, 36, dad, husband, Selectman, skier, data analyst.
