Top Priorities
- Provide oversight of the Town’s financial system;
- Ensure that all deposits and expenditures are recorded and reported accurately;
- Provide oversight of investments of taxpayer funds.
Why are you running?
I have extensive knowledge of Bethel’s financial system, having been responsible for all Town operations for over a decade, and am well qualified to hold this position.
During my tenure as First Selectman, I led the Town’s reinvestment in infrastructure as a top priority, spearheading a full renovation of the Bethel Water Department. Under my leadership, Clark Business Park was expanded, increasing tax revenue to benefit all Town services; I also improved Bethel’s financial position, thereby earning the Town’s upgrade to a AAA bond rating, which remains in place today. During my time in office, I also shifted Bethel finances toward less borrowing and a more sustainable operational budget to reserve borrowing capacity for large-scale capital project. I also wrote and gained approval of Bethel’s Tax Stabilization Ordinance, which provides a means of protecting Bethel taxpayers from severe changes in the mill rate due to unforeseen or unusual cost challenges. This ordinance greatly benefited Bethel taxpayers in the most recent budget cycle.
Biography
Matt and his wife Adrienne are Michigan transplants who have lived in Bethel for more than 40 years. Their two adult children, Alyssa and Devin, are both graduates of Bethel Public Schools. Alyssa is now a writer who lives with her husband and three children in Suquamish, Washington, and Devin is a corporate attorney living in Seattle, Washington. Matt holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Post University.
Background and Experience
Youth T-ball and Softball Coach
Member/Chairman of Bethel Jaycees
Member, Bethel Board of Education
Chairman, Bethel Board of Education
First Selectman, Bethel
Former executive, Fujifilm USA
Town of Wilton, Town Administrator
Bachelor of Science, Eastern Michigan University
Master of Public Administration, Post University
President, Connecticut Council of Small Towns
Member, Board of Directors, Connecticut Conference of Municipalities
Co-Chair of CCM Transportation Policy Committee
Co-Chair of CCM Policy Committee on Energy and Environment
Board Member and Chairman, Housatonic Resource Recovery Authority
Trustee, Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA)
CIRMA Chairman
Member, CIRMA Claims Review Committee.