Monday, November 6, 2017

Franklin Candidate for Town Council: Patrick Casey

Patrick Casey (PC) and I (FM) conducted this interview via an email exchange as our calendars could not align in time before the election on November 7.

FM: Tell me a bit about yourself, your family, and your life here in Franklin? What is your Franklin story?

PC: I grew up in Franklin with my six brothers and four sisters on Oakland Parkway. There were a lot of competitive games, pranks, and adventures but a lot of hard work as well. My parents made it clear that in order to maintain a strong family we would need to 1. Make sacrifices, 2. Take responsibility, and 3. Get along with one another. Since I was the fourth oldest, I naturally took on a leadership role. 

Each day presented new challenges with an infinite amount of logistics and problems that needed to be solved. Therefore, it was imperative for me to wear many hats whether it was to change diapers, do yardwork, figure out groceries etc. It was INSANE but also very rewarding.

I attended the Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School from Kindergarten to eighth grade and was part of the first graduating class. My parents, along with a small group of friends, founded the school in 1995. Their goal was to provide the students with a rich education while instilling strong morals. I then went to Franklin High School where I played soccer and baseball. If I wasn’t playing sports, then I was working for the town whether it was reffing games or being the gate guard at Chilson beach. 

After high school, I attended Saint Anselm College where I studied Communication and Political Science. My four years were filled with many great experiences such as attending candidate forums at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, developing strong critical thinking skills in liberal arts classes, and participating in community service organizations.

FM: What experience or background will help you to serve in this role? What do you bring to the table that helps to set you apart from the others?

PC: I have helped struggling communities in Mexico and numerous states across the U.S. through various service groups. The objective of these trips was to forgo our vacations and provide our services to the homeless, elderly, and victims of substance abuse. I was responsible for fundraising. preparing the budgets, and organizing the logistics so that our services would be properly executed. These experiences have heightened my awareness of the great good that local governments can do to influence an entire community’s future trajectory.

Over the last four years, I have developed critical analytical and business skills while working for IDG which has been recognized as the #1 Tech Media Company in the world. It has been extremely eye opening to see how technology is constantly changing our everyday lives. The experiences and knowledge that I have gained by working with C-level executives and tech decision makers has been truly rewarding. This insight will allow me to share the technological advancements that Franklin will need to take in order to truly prosper.

FM: What do you see as your role’s biggest challenge and do you have any suggestions on how we can resolve it?

PC: Balancing the budget for FY19 will be a top priority of mine should I be elected to the Town Council. Of course, those concerns must necessarily be tempered by the obvious responsibility we all have to help those in need and provide required services. I believe that all the town councilors need to work together with the utmost care and responsibility to find a balance that serves all parties. 

That being said, the tax payers deserve a fiscally conservative group of individuals who can decide on where to make the appropriate cuts to services while strategically growing the commercial sector. This will not only help us in avoiding an increase in the tax rate but will also provide opportunities for the constituents to find jobs within the town. Franklin will only be a successful town as long as the budget is well maintained. Therefore, I believe we will need to highly scrutinize every fiscal decision and stretch every tax dollar so that we keep Franklin economically strong and stable.

Another top priority of mine is to address the opioid epidemic. Over the last few years, our town has seen the devastating effects of this terrible problem. In 2016, Franklin had 59 overdoses and nine deaths relating to opioid use. A single overdose is too many. Yet I think that we can all agree that the number of incidents will continue to climb if we do not collectively take action. It is time to bring this issue to the forefront before we lose more of our loved ones and to educate our children before tragedy strikes another family. 

I am a current member of the SAFE Coalition that is working to help struggling individuals and families get the resources they need in order to fight this disease. A few members and I are currently carving out the details of a fundraiser that would hopefully bring in $100,000. This money would be the beginning of a scholarship fund where families can apply for aid so that their loved one can enter rehab. The SAFE Coalition has already made significant strides, but I believe that the council needs another voice to confront this issue.

FM: The Franklin Cultural Council submitted this question for Town Council candidates:
"As you know, Franklin has applied to the state for an official Cultural District designation in town. What do you feel is the role of arts and culture in Franklin, and what is your plan to advance that agenda?"
PC: The arts, music, and live performances in Franklin are very important aspects to our community. Not only do they showcase talent and hard work, but they are also an important way for the citizens to display their values, emotions, and ideas. We are very lucky to have places such as the Franklin School for Performing Arts and the Black Box to have individuals perform and grow. Also, these places provide social and economic gains which brings life to the downtown. 

I believe it will be vital for the Franklin Downtown Partnership, which I am a member, to work closely with the Cultural Council so that we can continue to grow the downtown. It is an exciting time for Franklin and I would be honored to work with the dedicated individuals of the Cultural Council on all upcoming projects.

You can follow up with Patrick via email at patrickrcasey5@gmail.com
or visit his campaign Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PCaseyforTownCouncil/



Noteworthy: This information is intended to help the Franklin voters when we all head to the ballot box on November 7. The interview candidates have had an opportunity to review the text before publishing to ensure the accuracy of our discussion. 

Offer to Candidates 2017
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/08/offer-to-candidates-for-franklin.html 


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