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Dear Editor:

I want to take this opportunity to thank the residents of West Hartford for trusting me to be their voice on the Town Council. It certainly has been an interesting two years. When I first took the oath of office, I entered with ideas of idealism and the hope of continuing to expand all aspects of what makes our town unique.

I do not think anyone could have imagined what we all were about to face. A global pandemic, social unrest and a political shift polarizing our country. This toxicity at the national level was one of the reasons I found it necessary to leave the Republican party, re-adjust and begin a new party focused on issues in West Hartford – A Connecticut Party of West Hartford.

I have always tried to focus on our town. During my tenure we have accomplished a great deal. We have and continue to fight a global pandemic. We have lost, some more than others, but I think we have become stronger and learned how better to work together.

I helped to create a website that is the portal for those who live in, visit, or wish to relocate to West Hartford. We have outdoor dining in our Center and other widely accessible locations in town. I am confident this will lead to more events in pedestrian friendly zones enhancing our community and promoting business growth.

We have begun to look at how we can do more with less. The strategic consolidation of municipal buildings is necessary to help curtail government spending while promoting grandlist growth. The purchase of St. Brigid’s school was a great first step. The combination of a new community center and library will only enhance our community and help bring more to vital areas of our town. We issued pension obligation bonds and now have a fully funded pension while maintaining West Hartford as a AAA-rated municipality. We continue to look at ways to curb pollution, become carbon free, energy efficient and ultimately a more environmentally friendly town.

We have begun and continue to foster an open dialog bringing all people together from all walks of life, fighting hate in all its forms. We continue to work on making West Hartford safe for all its residents by providing the necessary tools to our public safety officials.

And through democracy and a free and fair election, we have established and legitimized the rebirth of an independent political party here in West Hartford.

I have hope for our future and look forward to continuing my service to our town and community in whatever form it takes.

Thank you all again for this opportunity.

With gratitude,

Lee Gold