Council contender Bob Merrick's speech to the GOP town committee

Address to the RTC
5/21/07
My name is Bob Merrick. I offer my candidacy for councilman for the 3rd district. I ask for your endorsement and support.
Many of you may not know me as I am a relative newcomer to Bristol in comparison to many of you who have lived in our city for generations. I have been a resident of the Forestville section of Bristol for the past 11 years. I have a background in domestic and international business as well as in education and currently teach mathematics at Chippens Hill Middle School.
Many of my friends and neighbors have expressed that they have lost faith in our city’s leaders’ ability to address the challenges our city faces and to get things done on behalf of the people of Bristol. Several of my friends and neighbors have left the city altogether targeting communities that have demonstrated their commitment to education, business development, fiscal responsibility, and creating a safe and enjoyable environment that is responsive to the needs of its residents.
I say that it is time to put the people of Bristol first. Our city already offers many of the aforementioned desired attributes and more. Bristol is a city undergoing change, working out its new identity. It’s time to re-engage the people of Bristol and bring them into the process of helping to define the community they desire, a community they are proud to be a part of and their children are proud to call their home.
My candidacy is about helping to develop a mission for our city that creates a stronger sense of community in the eyes of the people. I am offering you the opportunity to replace the self-serving agendas of a select few with actions that address the needs, desires, and opportunities asked for by the people.
The city we desire is up to all of us. If we want to move Bristol forward to be a leader in 21st-century living then we need to use 21st-century thinking. I have reached out to members of the community not willing to accept business as usual and am proud to be running as part of a team along side Ken Johnson and Ken Cockayne.
I do not claim to have all the answers to the challenges faced by our community. My commitment to you is to act as an agent of change reflective of the needs and desires of the people I serve. My name is Bob Merrick, and I ask for your endorsement and support in my candidacy for 3rd-District City Councilman.