Darienite (https://darienite.com/category/news/government-politics/page/3)
Government and political news
To the editor:
Monica McNally should be our next First Selectman. I wouldn’t put something in writing that I didn’t believe in and I strongly believe in Monica and her team. I met Monica over 20 years ago when our children were in St. Luke’s nursery school together. I have always been impressed by Monica‘s ability to assess a situation.
To the editor:
It’s a pleasure to write this letter in support of Monica McNally as Darien’s next first selectman. Currently serving on the Board of Selectmen, Monica brings a wide range of relevant experience to the responsibilities of first selectman. She’s served in leadership roles for eight years on the RTM and knows the operations of our town. She was a successful financial advisor for 10 years with Smith Barney and thoroughly understands bond markets, interest rates and cash flow. Monica was a founding member of OPUS for Person to Person and has chaired several other community organizations.
To the editor:
I am writing to express my unqualified support for Tara Ochman as first selectman of the Town of Darien. As a community, we have lived through an exhausting pandemic, increasingly volatile weather patterns, and increasingly vitriolic political discourse. At the same time, we have been blessed with a sizable influx of new Darien residents, who have strengthened our community by just being a part of it. Tara is uniquely qualified to provide the leadership that our town needs at this time. She is a visionary, keen to find solutions for the local impact that storms and flooding will have on our homes and businesses.
To the editor:
Although I am a Democrat, I believe many key issues facing Darien are less about partisanship, and more about sound, competent, forward-thinking strategy and fiscal management. That said, I’ve been researching our two candidates, Tara Ochman, and Monica McNally, to make a truly informed decision on the best candidate for the job, and I have concluded that person is Tara Ochman. As a 15-year resident of Darien, I have been impressed with Tara Ochman’s astute leadership of the Board of Education over the last several years, and in particular, during the unprecedented challenges of the last 18+ months. I credit her, and the BOE, and of course our administrators, teachers, and school staff, with keeping our schools open and functioning throughout most of 2020/2021 in either hybrid or full-time mode, something many other school systems did not accomplish. After watching Candidates Night hosted by The League of Women Voters to get a better sense of Mrs. Ochman and Mrs. McNally’s positions, it is apparent that Mrs. Ochman has a clear and informed vision, strategy, and the leadership chops to evolve Darien during these complex times.
To the editor:
I am the business manager of Trumbull Public Schools, and in the past 13 years have had similar responsibilities in Ridgefield and Plymouth. In the interests of full-disclosure and transparency, I have routinely provided the Boards of Finance in those towns any financial information they requested (redacting students’ names to protect confidentiality). None of the Boards of Education in those towns invoked the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) before such information was shared. In one town I met with the Board of Finance monthly to review the school budget. Ms. Ochman’s attempt to utilize Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to stonewall the Darien Board of Finance’s request for data to update its five-year projections is ludicrous.
To the editor:
I have written a few versions of my letter in support for Democratic Board of Education candidates Julie Best and Stacey Tie. Truthfully, there are too many positive attributes to discuss in such a limited amount of space. However, after the incidents of hate were displayed earlier this fall, I had an ‘aha’ moment for the focus of my letter: Julie and Stacey will work on behalf of EVERY single child within the Darien Public Schools, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual identity, ability, popularity, socioeconomic status and parent political affiliation. I have known Julie and Stacey for almost seven years, ever since meeting them on the Council of Darien School Parents. Though we started as colleagues, I now consider them both friends.
Compiled each year as a public service by the League of Women Voters of Darien. This Voters’ Guide is designed to provide information about the candidates to the public in a nonpartisan and balanced way to assist them in casting an informed vote on Election Day. Questionnaires were submitted to candidates for local offices, asking one or more office related questions. Responses were limited to a specific word count and are printed exactly as submitted by the candidates. For every ballot position, a voter may write in the name of someone who is not listed as a candidate on a separate line at the bottom of the ballot for “Write-In Votes.”
In the State of Connecticut for those votes to be counted, the individual whose name is being written in, must have registered with the Secretary of State.
Compiled each year as a public service by the League of Women Voters of Darien. This Voters’ Guide is designed to provide information about the candidates to the public in a nonpartisan and balanced way to assist them in casting an informed vote on Election Day. Questionnaires were submitted to candidates for local offices, asking one or more office related questions. Responses were limited to a specific word count and are printed exactly as submitted by the candidates. For every ballot position, a voter may write in the name of someone who is not listed as a candidate on a separate line at the bottom of the ballot for “Write-In Votes.”
In the State of Connecticut for those votes to be counted, the individual whose name is being written in, must have registered with the Secretary of State.
Compiled each year as a public service by the League of Women Voters of Darien. This Voters’ Guide is designed to provide information about the candidates to the public in a nonpartisan and balanced way to assist them in casting an informed vote on Election Day. Questionnaires were submitted to candidates for local offices, asking one or more office related questions. Responses were limited to a specific word count and are printed exactly as submitted by the candidates. For every ballot position, a voter may write in the name of someone who is not listed as a candidate on a separate line at the bottom of the ballot for “Write-In Votes.”
In the State of Connecticut for those votes to be counted, the individual whose name is being written in, must have registered with the Secretary of State.
Compiled each year as a public service by the League of Women Voters of Darien. This Voters’ Guide is designed to provide information about the candidates to the public in a nonpartisan and balanced way to assist them in casting an informed vote on Election Day. Questionnaires were submitted to candidates for local offices, asking one or more office related questions. Responses were limited to a specific word count and are printed exactly as submitted by the candidates. For every ballot position, a voter may write in the name of someone who is not listed as a candidate on a separate line at the bottom of the ballot for “Write-In Votes.”
In the State of Connecticut for those votes to be counted, the individual whose name is being written in, must have registered with the Secretary of State.
To the editor:
Sarah Neuman is a skilled organizer, effective communicator, and selfless advocate for others. Her candidacy for the Board of Selectmen meets the needs of our town. We met Sarah almost 20 years ago and have been continually impressed with her caring and dedication towards others that has extended to the town of Darien. Our families bonded through our children and have remained very close over the prior two decades. Through her volunteer work, Sarah delivers a positive experience for the people and businesses of Darien.
To the editor:
I’m voting for Stacey Tié. Why you ask? Just google her name. You’ll see the great work that she has done not only for the education system in Darien but for the town itself. Let me tell you how I met Stacey.
To the Editor:
As we have seen over the past 18 months, public service in support of our schools can be a challenging and thankless endeavor. That’s why I am so thankful that Stacey Tie and Julie Best are willing to step forward and serve our students as members of the Darien Board of Education at such a pivotal time. Our students would be so fortunate to have Stacey and Julie as advocates at the table on their behalf. For years, Stacey has been my “go-to” when navigating school issues — particularly as my son’s special education journey began. She has an uncanny way of getting to the heart of any matter with reasoned logic and an impressive level of patience for details.
To the editor:
It is with great enthusiasm that I write a letter of support for Julie Best and Stacey Tie for Darien’s Board of Education in 2021. Julie Best and Stacey Tie have each spent years working in a wide range of capacities within the Darien PTO organizations as well as town government to improve our schools and our community. As a current parent of students in the Darien district, I am grateful for their ever-present support, experience and dedication, helping our students, parents and schools navigate a year and a half of unforeseen challenges. In addition to their work on our various school TPO organizations, Stacey Tie has served on the RTM and its Finance and Budget committee since 2016 and offers experience in all aspects and challenges of our district’s budgets while Julie Best has served in numerous PTO organizations in Darien, with her most recent leadership role as the co-chair of the Council of Darien School Parents, the umbrella organization for all Darien PTOs. I feel their dedication, energy and creative thinking will offer our community the passion, leadership and partnership we are looking for at this time.
To the editor:
I write in support of Stacey Tie’s candidacy for a seat on the Board of Education. Stacey has so many qualities that will make her an ideal BOE member. Topping the list: integrity. Stacey’s decisions will be principled and rooted, above all else, in what’s best for our children. Stacey brings to bear a unique array of relevant experience that will guide her service on the BOE.