Brian First deserves better.

Literally in the 11th hour last night a letter came out regarding Brian First's record as a member of the Board of Finance. It is sad to see that people (perhaps even just a single individual, as no one had the courage to attach their name to the letter) would try such an obvious ploy to try to discredit such an outstanding member of our community without the ability to rebut the charges. However, Brian has once again shown himself to be the kind of upstanding leader that he is in a written reply that goes to the very heart of the fact that this group who claims that he didn't listen to the will of the people never approached him or the Board of Finance to have their concerns addressed.

I think it is truly amazing how little our taxes have increased during Brian's tenure on the Board of Finance. Particularly when one considers the challenges that towns saw during the economic downturn and how our town and schools have continued to grow and thrive.

Brian First is a thoughtful and fiscally prudent member of our community; and we as a town are fortunate to have such a balanced person in charge of our municipal finances.

Please give Brian your support today and head to the polls.

Below is his response.

Dear Coalition of Citizens 4 Canton –

I am disappointed that your strong concerns and opinions did not motivate any members of your group to attend any of our monthly Board of Finance meetings and express these concerns during our public comment period at the start of each meeting. As you can guess, it’s difficult to understand the motives of an anonymous group that posts inaccurate commentary on the eve of an election.  With nearly 6 years of service on the Board of Finance and making myself available to the public to hear and address any concerns, I would have hoped to hear from you previously.  It would have been an ideal opportunity to correct the inaccurate portrayals and misinformation you are spreading below.  I think most reasonable voters reading your commentary will simply consult the actual public record, check their tax bills, and vote their opinion based on the quality of life in our town.  As I am sure you actually know, I have not even been accused of an ethics violation, much less had the town ethics commission review or make any such ruling.  Again, an anonymous coalition is entitled to their opinions and right of free speech, but making up your own “facts” quickly demonstrates why the members making these allegations would prefer to hide behind anonymity. On a positive note, you are correct that I have repeatedly voted to reduce the requested amount of spending proposals brought before the Board of Finance in the interest of being a voice of our community dedicated to delivering maximum value to Canton’s taxpayers.  Your commentary on the town garage discussion appears inconsistent with my actual vote.  Simply supporting party leaders would indicate voting to approve spending recommendations as presented.  My voting record over nearly 6 years demonstrates I am a fiscally prudent, independent thinker employing thoughtful scrutiny and repeatedly passing final budgets less than those amounts originally proposed. 

Canton remains a special and unique small town where we all benefit from engaging each other and sharing our views for the common purpose of improving our community.  I am always willing to further discuss your concerns in person should you care to contact me.

Sincerely,

Brian First

Ph) 860-693-8188