Kristina White (D-Petitioning): Incumbent Candidate for Lyme Selectman

Biography: 

Kristina White, a resident since 2004, has served as a selectwoman for three and a half years and as a member of the town’s Emergency Operations Center team for 11 years. She chairs the Sustainability Committee and serves as the official moderator for town elections. As the executive director of the Lyme Land Trust, she oversees its strategic direction and operations. White has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission and as treasurer and assistant treasurer of the Lyme Fire Company. A former president of the Lower Connecticut River Land Trust, she has volunteered widely in town organizations. 

1. Why are you running for the Lyme Board of Selectmen, and what skills or experiences make you the right candidate for that role?

I am running for reelection because I know how the town operates, and I want to continue to help make government more efficient and transparent to the Lyme community. I have spent the last three and a half years learning the operations of the town while creating relationships with all the town employees. Having those relationships is important when it comes to solving issues that arise. I understand the budgeting process, and I will ensure that we maintain a balanced budget that supports our volunteer emergency services, maintains our roads and keeps our taxes as low as possible.

2. Lyme, like the other municipalities in the state, is being called upon to increase the availability of affordable housing. What is your view on the need for affordable housing in Lyme, and how should the town balance state requirements with local calls to preserve its rural nature? 

Like many other small towns in Connecticut, Lyme faces the challenge of providing affordable housing in a market where housing stock is at a premium. We must work together to find creative solutions to this problem. The Planning and Zoning Commission now has a guiding document with the 2025 Plan of Conservation Development that has just been completed. Working with the other boards in commissions in town, they will need to find ways to create housing that fits the character of the town. We need to see what other towns similar in size to Lyme are doing and be open to new solutions.

3. Lyme proudly relies on its volunteers to create a safe and supportive community, from fighting fires and responding to medical calls to sitting on boards and commissions. With volunteer numbers shrinking and a limited pool to pull from, what ideas do you have for encouraging more people to serve the town? 

Over the past three years, the DTC supported two volunteer fairs at the Lyme Public Library that brought all the boards, commissions and nonprofits seeking volunteers under one roof. This outreach brought an outpouring of new people seeking volunteer opportunities. We will need to continue to come up with creative ways to use social media and other platforms to reach people. We need to do more to support our emergency services in attracting and keeping their volunteers. We do provide some financial incentives, but we could do more.

4. In order of importance, what do you see as the top three challenges facing Lyme over the next two years? 

Lyme’s biggest challenge in the next two years will be the effects of federal policies on the local level. Rising food prices are already evident, and as health care costs and job losses reach our area, things will become increasingly difficult. Other challenges that are not new but continue to be apparent are housing shortages and keeping taxes low.