Dear Neighbors,

Chairman Ken Hjulstrom

During the last two decades the people of  Marlborough have seen a lot of changes. There is a new senior center. The town center plan is taking shape, which includes an enlarged town green. The elementary school underwent a total renovation, which was completed in 2003. The town has acquired property for a business park. And last, but not least, construction is now complete on the first phase of the town’s sewer project.

These changes bring with them new challenges. Primary among these challenges is to keep Marlborough affordable for present residents and to keep it attractive for new families and businesses. This is a tough balancing act, but the goal of the Marlborough Republicans is to provide needed services to residents while keeping costs and taxes under control. The importance of this goal was never more evident than it has been during the budget debates in recent years. Marlborough Republicans held the line on taxes and showed that we are listening to you – the taxpayers of Marlborough.

We continue to find ourselves in tough economic times. We have lost several key businesses (most recently the Marlborough Tavern) and many of our other businesses are struggling. Loss of these businesses negatively impacts our town’s revenue stream and the impact on our grand list will be a key factor when formulating future budgets. As a result, we need to scrutinize our budget to find ways to address the needs of our community and minimize the near term effect on our taxpayers. Together we can get through these tough times by placing your needs first and making the most of your tax dollar. That is why the Marlborough Republicans continue to work so hard.

As chairman of the Republican Town Committee, I pledge myself and our party to serve the community and its citizens. With your help we can maintainMarlboroughamong the best places to live inConnecticut. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to our neighbors and we owe it to our children.

Thank you,