Integrity, Civility, Fiscal Responsibility

Many years ago I attended a state convention for AAUW (American Association of University Women), an organization in which I am a life member. I don’t remember the name of the keynote speaker that year but I do remember her message. She discussed what she referred to as the “Three V’s: Voice, Values and Vision.” The basic premise is that one’s actions and plans must be connected to one’s values. Values drive everything.

Values are what drive my actions. In my public life serving on the Montville Town Council, the three most important values that underpin my actions and decisions are integrity, civility, and fiscal responsibility.

Fiscal Responsibility

The financial decisions required of the Town Council are multifaceted - more than I ever imagined when first taking the oath of office in 2005. It is one thing to make financial decisions in the context of one’s family but quite another to spend taxpayers’ money. I take that responsibility very seriously at all times, and especially during this economic downturn that had such a profound effect on so many families and businesses. It requires evaluating every financial decision carefully, keeping in mind that the decision may result in higher taxes for struggling families and concurrently being mindful that the Town’s infrastructure must be maintained lest costs skyrocket because of neglect. It sometimes requires spending money in order to save money. My vote to retain the Human Resources position in this past budget exemplifies this idea; I felt (and still do) that a qualified person working in this position can save the Town money in legal bills and potential lawsuits that far exceeds the salary and benefits the position requires.

Civility  (this part is repeated from a former blog)

When my middle daughter was in elementary school her class took a field trip to a local museum. Later that afternoon the museum docent called to compliment my daughter on her good manners. It was one of my proudest moments as a parent; one of my priorities was to impart to my children the importance of good manners in all situations. To me that is the essence of civility. As a grownup that means paying attention when someone else is speaking, taking turns speaking and listening without interrupting, acknowledging that one may have a different perspective on an issue without engaging in a character attack. Tone of voice is important. Truthfulness is essential. Criticism or disagreement should be constructive, not personal. All voices should be heard and the only way to accomplish this is through civil discourse. Interrupting, talking over someone else, name-calling, characterizing one with a different point of view or offering alternate suggestions as wrong – these are counterproductive. Civility sometimes means not responding to name-calling because engaging in that kind of discourse reduces all parties to incivility. Incivility makes difficult work more difficult than it should be and reduces the likelihood of a reasoned outcome. Civility is not optional; it is always appropriate and absolutely necessary.

Integrity

Honesty. Fairness. Doing the right thing even when it’s hard. A Buddhist prayer relates to integrity: “My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground on which I stand.” Christian evangelist Billy Graham stated: “Integrity is the glue that holds our way of life together. We must constantly strive to keep our integrity intact. When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.” This is the most important of the three values; integrity encompasses fiscal responsibility and civility. Any vote I make or action I engage in is based on what I think is the right thing to do, not the political thing to do and not the popular thing to do, even when I am a lone voice. My vote opposing the lawsuit against the state of Connecticut regarding the sex offender facility was based on the value of fiscal responsibility. It wasn’t easy being the only one to vote against the lawsuit – it would have been much easier to vote with the majority - but based on my analysis and my values, it was the only vote I could make.

Integrity, Civility and Fiscal Responsibility. In the upcoming election for Montville Town Council, voters will choose seven councilors from among eleven candidates. Think about comparing the values of each candidate when making your choices.