About the Candidate: Bill Beckert

Name:  Bill Beckert

Party: Democratic

Position Seeking: Town Council – 2nd District

Family information:  My wife Darlene and I have lived in Farmington since June of 2001.  We have two children, Grace, age 9, and Devin, age 6.

Occupation, if applicable: I have been a practicing attorney since December 1993. In July of 2010 and co-founded the law firm of Jainchill & Beckert.

As a small business owner, I am confronted daily with the challenges of succeeding in a struggling economy.

Political and Community Experience: I have been a member of the Board of Education since August 2009. While on the Board, I have served as liaison to the Farmington Public School Foundation, helping its new leadership get off the ground last year. Recently, I was appointed the Board’s liaison to the Farmington Chamber of Commerce. Previously, I served for 6 years on the Town Plan & Zoning Commission/Inlands & Wetlands Agency. Before that, I served for almost a year on the Conservation Commission.

I coach baseball and softball for with Farmington Youth Baseball, and have been a member of the Rotary Club for several years.

Why are you running for office?  Because I want my children to have the best we can offer them. We moved to Town in 2001 for many reasons, but the main one was the excellent schools. Darlene and I knew that when we started our family, we wanted our kids to grow up in a strong community with great schools. Farmington is that community.

What issues or opportunities is the town facing today? 

The single greatest issue for our town is our recovery from the worst natural disaster to hit since the Flood of ‘55. The new Council must aggressively look to pursue all federal and state aide for which we are eligible to defray the costs of clean up and help our community get back on its feet as fast as possible, and to work with CL&P to make sure this never happens again.

In the long term, our council must continue to work to strike the right balance between low tax increases and its commitment to our continued investment in education.  The Council must be committed to set budget priorities based on what is in the best interest in the Town, not by what it thinks can pass a budget referendum. The process on how we ratify a Town Budget has to change. That is why I am very much in favor of reforming the Town Charter, as that is the only way we can get off the track we are currently on; the track where people are forced to vote Yes on budgets that they think are inadequate, for fear that a No vote will trigger a second referendum with even greater cuts, and where a Second Town Meeting can be held to change the results of a fairly contested referendum.

While there are many things the new Council must consider, perhaps its greatest priority is to make sure we are actively involved in the integration of Jackson Labs into our community. An entity of this size will undoubtedly impact Farmington in many ways, both predictable and unforeseen. The impacts to our traffic patterns, public works, fire and police departments must be fully understood, so that the new Council can ensure that these issues are considered by both the State and UCONN.

Anything else you would like to share? 

I love Farmington. It is a great place to raise a family. Our taxes remain the lowest around, yet we get so much in return. Our Town government should work to continue to reflect our entire community’s values: hard work, fiscal discipline, investment in our future, community involvement, respect for each other, and a respect for those that came before us.  I have not had enough of what makes Farmington great, and will work to make sure that it continues to be the great place we all know it to be.