William Furrier
9 Erin Lane
Sandy Hook, CT 06482
203-270-0161
Age: 50
Family: I have lived in Newtown for 14 years, dedicated to my wife Tracy, my son Cory, 10 and my daughter Nina, 9.
Community Service: I am proud to serve Newtown as one of your Selectman, because service to my community is an important part of who I am. I spent 10 years on Newtown’s Public Building and Site Commission, 5 years as the chairman. I have coached soccer here in town and was the president of the largest condominium association in Sugarbush Vermont.
My Philosophy and Platform:
I believe that our elected officials should run our town government just like most of us run our households, as fiscal conservatives blending careful planning with diligent management while wisely investing in our future.
Today’s economy has many people asking their government to spend less of their money. I believe government must live within these economic realities. We think that effective leadership should prepare for future challenges by adjusting current spending now. We pledge to reduce town spending by 5% over the next two years, approximately the same rate that it has increased for many years.
My plan includes rolling out a new accounting system called Track Score and Report which will provide much greater details of how money is spent and the value that it produces. We currently track many things internally, but we don’t score total costs of public tasks and we do a poor job of communicating to the taxpayers what their money is getting for them. Track, Score and Report will put us on a better footing to improve the efficiency of the services we deliver and will provide everyone with a greater understanding of what their taxes are providing for them. Determining the true cost and value of the services we provide is an important component to our plan to reduce spending and empower the community.
I believe that high density housing development at FFH is a clear and present danger to our way of life. Having always been strongly and vocally opposed to the idea, I pledge to continue opposing any such plan with all my efforts. Affordable housing is an important issue to be addressed, but not as part of the core plan for Fairfield Hills.
I believe that local government is best when every member of the community is enabled to participate in the actions and outcomes of their community’s governance. I want the people of Newtown to hold more power over the spending and planning decisions that have long lasting effects in our community.
Education: BS Chemical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology,
MS Chemical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Professional Experience: Combining my technical degrees with work experiences as a Product & Process Development Engineer/Chemist in Research and Development and in Manufacturing has developed my ability to manage complex technical and business problems.