Editor's note: The following candidate profile comes from a questionnaire the candidate filled out.
Gary M. Murphy, 53, is a Democrat who lives in Montville Manor.
Murphy is a graduate of Montville High School, and he works for the Connecticut Department of Correction.
He has served on the Montville Town Council since 2007.
Murphy has been a member of the Oakdale Fire Company since 1975, and was elected chief in 1984, a position he still holds.
He 1is past president of the New London County Fire Chief’s Association, past vice president and manager of the Montville American Little League. He has coached Montville Pee Wee Football, and served on two Town of Montville Charter Revision Commissions.
What do you think are the three top issues facing the town, and how would you fix them?
1. Taxes
I cannot tell you that your taxes won’t go up or down. You should be suspicious of anyone claiming that they can do this. Imagine how I felt as a town councilor, when my father left Montville because he could not afford his taxes.
Of course we need to keep taxes as low as possible so we can attract new business and keep the businesses we have here thriving.
I do believe we can do more with neighboring towns when we purchase goods and services together. If we join forces I believe we would have a substantial savings with our buying power.
The Board of Education started doing this with other schools in the area, all closing the same week for vacations. The town must provide transportation for school buses going to tech schools and private schools. This cuts fuel and overtime cost.
2. Roads/Infrastructure
It is imperative that we maintain our roads by spending minimal amounts of money each year and using the State of Connecticut TAR (town aid road) money. Also, we must adhere to the road replacement plan. This will also keep our auto repair bills down. ( i.e. tires, shocks and ball joints)
3. Board of Education
The entire town council has to do a better job with respect to the Montville Board of Education. Each councilor should get involved with a school or two so they can see what goes on in our schools. Also, they must work with the Board of Education to get more parents involved with the school system. The No Child Left behind Act has added costs beyond belief to our educational system. The Board of Education has no choice in this matter it must follow the law.
What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?
I am a certified Hostage Negotiator with the Connecticut Department of Correction.
