The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received October 23, 2023.
My name is Eric Couture, and I am the Democratic candidate for First Selectman in Killingworth.
My family first moved to town thirty years ago, my parents deciding that its school district and rural aesthetic would be a great place to raise their children. After graduating from Haddam Killingworth High in 2007, I attended Rochester Institute of Technology earning a degree in Physics and Political Science.
Since then, I have worked in Hartford in a political capacity, learning how Hartford works and how to use that knowledge to best serve our town’s interests. At that time, I also served on the Board of Education, on the Facilities, Policy, and Curriculum committees as well as the High School Renovation Project’s building committee. As I did when I was a student, I learned an immeasurable amount about how our community comes together to solve the issues we face.
I’m running for First Selectman because I believe in giving back to the community in which you are raised and live. This community taught me to be humble, kind-hearted, thoughtful, and respectful and those are the values I will bring to town hall. I’m committed to hearing community input on what matters to us and making sure that everyone’s viewpoint is heard.
I’m also running because I see the challenges we face as a community and believe that we need to take a long-term approach to how we handle them so we can adapt Killingworth to the 21st century in our own way.
Addressing housing affordability to keep our young families and our elderly in town or finding solutions to our aging school infrastructure will require working in concert with both Hartford and our Regional School District 17 Board of Education. Both issues require patience and consensus-building.
Fortunately, we live in a town that has a strong tradition of volunteering to handle the issues that face us. From the Fire House and Ambulance Association to the great work done at Parmelee Farm and Deer Lake, when the town needs people to step up and act, we have great support. Our town thrives and stands out because the people who live here can be counted on to step up to the challenges our town faces.
It’s my view that as we maintain our civility and recognize our shared stewardship of Killingworth, we can accomplish whatever Killingworth needs to prepare for and adapt to the future.
It would be my honor to serve as First Selectman, and I hope I can earn your vote on November 7th.
Eric Couture, Killingworth
