Jude Danenhower Read (R): Candidate (Incumbent) for Old Lyme Selectman
Biography:
Selectwoman Jude Read and her husband Sloan have lived in town for 42 years. Their children Megan and Will graduated from Lyme-Old Lyme Schools. She has owned small businesses and is currently a business management consultant. She considers herself fortunate to be able to be involved both politically and with local nonprofits. A former member of the Board of Finance and Board of Education, she serves on the MacCurdy Salisbury Educational Foundation and was a board member of the Old Lyme Historical Society. She’s volunteered as a Girl Scout leader and delivered for Meals on Wheels.
1) Why are you running for the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen, and what do you see as the most important challenges facing the town in the next two years?
I am running for the Board of Selectman in Old Lyme because it’s important that all residents have a voice in the future of our Town and NOT just a small group who decide for us!
I LISTEN!
I’ve heard from people throughout our community about the direction Old Lyme is heading. This includes registered Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated voters; collectively they don’t like it! They feel as though no one is listening to them, let alone speaking up for them. They feel they are being TOLD what is best for them and their town. The HROD Proposal emphatically proved this. Collective resistance resulted in the rejection of HROD. I helped spearhead that push back as a voice for the people.
I hope to be their voice going forward on the most impactful issues facing our town.
Zoning is key to the future of our town. It’s important that we get it right. Let’s start with baby steps. Small changes which can be implemented in a reasonable timeframe, efforts that can be corrected, if need be, then build on those undertakings. Large scale changes can cause irreversible damage.
Other requisite concerns are community health/safety and protecting/preserving our public spaces and environment, including parks and waterways. Addressing these concerns include installing sidewalks and maintaining our public access to the water. Ensuring our Fire, Ambulance, Police and Schools are supported is key to our town’s health. Having served on the Board of Finance for many years in Old Lyme, I also know these accomplishments can be achieved in an affordable way.
People move to Old Lyme because of the way Old Lyme is, not what someone else wants it to be in the future. I want all residents, present and future, to have this experience (pride) and this prerogative.
It is of utmost importance that we are good custodians of this precious town. We do not want or need Old Lyme to be like other towns. Preserve our semi-rural and nature-rich environment. Support changes consistent with our reasons for living here.
I would be proud to have your vote on November 4th
2) The pace and scale of development in Old Lyme has been a key issue in town, from the prospect of apartments on Halls Road to the implications that sewers might have for the shoreline gateway. How would you describe Old Lyme as it is today, and what is your vision for the town’s future?
I see Old Lyme today as a healthy, vibrant, small town. Picturesque (quintessential New England) with a strong sense of community, compassion and pride. A semi-rural community with healthy schools, thriving active seniors, an art community with deep historical roots, great water access and welcoming religious organizations. A town that its citizens are proud to call home!
Improvements to Old Lyme such as sidewalks on Halls Road and additional alternative housing will help to keep our town healthy and progressing. Finding the right solution for sewers will open up the Shoreline Gateway Area and make it more inviting for businesses as well as housing development.
The town of Old Lyme has funded studies to plan for the future of our town. We must embrace long-term planning. We need to recognize the individual areas and their strengths – whether they are our beach communities, our lake community, or our historic district. We need to make zoning changes that work for each unique area while recognizing our town is one town. We cannot have a political climate of THEM versus US. We need to respect each other irrespective of address, to move forward in a well-planned manner.
The future health of Old Lyme hinges on identifying our strengths and recognizing areas where improvements are needed. We need safe areas to walk and bike. We need more diverse housing. We need to strengthen our commercial retail base while supporting our existing businesses while averting urbanization. I see business development as a plus, provided that growth is consonant with our town’s character. That was not the case with HROD.
We must work together, across party lines and bring our communities together to ensure a healthy future for everyone. John Mesham and I, along with Sloan Danenhower, have proven we can do this. We listen and we get things done!
3) How important are shoreline environmental issues—such as flooding, beach erosion, water quality, and climate change—to Old Lyme’s long-term vitality, and what steps would you take to address them?
Environmental issues are of crucial importance, especially along the Shoreline. The possible harm of these threats could wipe out Old Lyme’s summer tourism and beach communities. These areas of town are a huge part of Old Lyme’s identity, tax base, residences and source of our tourism business. Without them Old Lyme would not be so inviting and beautiful.
Issues such as flooding, beach erosion, water quality and climate change need to be addressed immediately and proactively. As a Selectman, I will work with our local experts as well as our recently formed Flood and Erosion Committee, to identify our most immediate and future threats and needs and seek out protections and solutions where we are vulnerable. These need to be prioritized for proper planning and budgeting to be implemented.
We must work together with our other shoreline communities and state and federal agencies to come up with recommendations on how to keep our communities safe. We need to revise our Zoning Regulations so we can prevent future harm to coastlines while enjoying their splendor.
We must take measures to be certain that we are not polluting our limited aquifers and Long Island Sound. Old Lyme’s drinking water is completely reliant on wells. Our town’s character and economy is uniquely tied to Long Island Sound. We need to install sewers where they are needed OR come up with an acceptable alternative. This issue is not going away and must be dealt with now, not later.
John and I will work to preserve and protect Old Lyme’s environment. We would be honored to receive your vote on November 4.
4) What would you do to ensure that rising property taxes don’t make Old Lyme unaffordable for residents?
I will do whatever is necessary to control property taxes in Old Lyme by working with our Departments, Boards and Commissions to MANAGE AND PLAN OUR SPENDING which, in turn, keeps our taxes lower. Planning and working with our Finance Department and Board of Finance is imperative when budgeting. Planning well in advance is the key to spreading out costs over time, avoiding huge, unnecessary expenditure increases in short timeframes, driving up property taxes disproportionately .
Rising property taxes are the result of selecting wants versus needs. We best control costs by prioritizing needs over wants. Maintaining our investments in buildings, structures, and public infrastructure based on longer term planning is the recipe for fiscal responsibility. I will always ask the pivotal questions: Is this new spending proposal a need or a want? Can we afford this want? Is the Public supportive of making funds available for the want? Have we budgeted for needs before wants? Can we plan for funding needs well in advance? These are the questions that have not been asked in the last two years except when I posed them. Asking questions and fostering community involvement is critical to this process. By planning ahead, costs can be controlled such that taxes don’t make Old Lyme unaffordable.
Regarding payroll, is adding new staff a need or a want? Before adding staff, understand the financial impact to the budget.
As your selectman I will continue to support our volunteers! Volunteers help to keep cost of services down. We need to encourage responsible housing growth and work on ways to bring in compatible/complimentary businesses, which will bring added dollars to our town economy while contributing to our tax base.
I was a member of the Old Lyme Board of Finance and have a proven track record of keeping our taxes down and controlling spending. I will continue to operate this way going forward. I respectfully ask for you to trust me once again.