Looking Ahead at Year’s End

The holiday season is a time for coming together, celebrating the accomplishments of the past year, and looking ahead with a spirit of optimism toward the New Year.  For our Town, there is much to feel good about 2023 and a genuine sense of excitement for what we can accomplish together in 2024.

What tops my list of accomplishments for this past year?

Certainly, as head of our local Democratic Town Committee, I was heartened by the high turnout in our recent municipal election among Democrats, Republicans, and Unaffiliated voters, demonstrating the strength of Woodbridge residents’ commitment to democracy.  In a world where too many anti-democratic leaders continue to seek out new ways to hold onto power by limiting the rights of their citizens, we are reminded how precious our system of governance is.

I am also proud of how we affirmed the priority that brought so many of us to Woodbridge:  ensuring that our children have a high-quality education, free from censorship and bias, that will prepare them to lead in the world they will inherit.  This is the bedrock accomplishment required of an educational system in a democracy—ensuring that we are raising open-minded critical thinkers empowered to champion what they believe and to challenge forces that could do harm to our society’s vulnerable members and to our cherished rights.  And included in our affirmation was an unequivocal message to our educators that we trust their expertise and judgment.

The advances we’ve made in nurturing our community’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through the work of the Town’s DEI Committee ranks high on my list of our Town’s accomplishments.   From book discussions to sharing findings from the Experiencing Woodbridge Survey to the robust community participation in the third annual Woodbridge Like Me Day, our friends and neighbors have shown that they are committed to ensuring that our Town is a deeply welcoming place for everyone.  In a frightening period of rising global antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, homophobia, racial prejudices, and general intolerance of difference, our community’s ability to celebrate what makes each of us unique is that much more special.

Looking ahead to next year, I am confident that our new First Selectman, Mica Cardozo, will maximize collaboration among the members of the Board of Selectmen, regardless of party affiliation, and across the many volunteer boards and commissions serving Woodbridge, to find bipartisan solutions that address longstanding challenges facing our community.   I firmly believe that this coming year will set Woodbridge on a clear and firm path toward resolving what to do with the Country Club property, growing our economic base, and ensuring that our educational system continues to be a beacon for families.

2024 will be a big year, locally and nationally, and will require engagement and civic participation by us all.  So, rest up over these next couple of weeks, as we have a lot to accomplish together come January.

In the meantime, the Woodbridge Democratic Town Committee wishes all our neighbors and friends a splendid holiday season and a happy, healthy, and transformative New Year!

If you are interested in learning more about the Woodbridge Democratic Town Committee, please be in touch with us by email at:  communications@woodbridgedems.org or visit our website:  http://www.woodbridgedems.org.

<span class="fineprint">This is an opinion not necessarily endorsed by the Woodbridge Town News.</span>