Republican Announces Bid for Tax Collector

The following letter to the editor was submitted by Ray Fayad, a 37-year-old Republican who announced his candidacy for tax collector Tuesday night. He will run against incumbent Tax Collector Jim Goggin, a Democrat. He was nominated by the GOP Wednesday night at the party's caucus. 

My name is Ray Fayad, I am pleased to share and announce my candidacy for Tax Collector of the Borough of Naugatuck and on Wednesday, July 17, 2013, I will be seeking the nomination and endorsement of the Republican Party.

I have been a long time resident of Naugatuck. I am married to my lovely wife Kelly and I have a beautiful baby boy that is one year old. We also, have three girls in our family, which believe me, keeps me on my toes. Naugatuck is our home. I want it to be a place that my kids and all the other kids that live here can cherish and call home as well. This is why I have decided to seek the tax collector's office.

As so many have, my family decided to move to Naugatuck seeking a better life and future for their children. Growing up, I remember the consensus was: Naugatuck had a great industrial history, amazing architecture, close community, and a superior school system. I wish I could say that things have stayed exactly as I remembered them when I was younger, but they have not.  We have seen tremendous increases in taxes, year after year under our current mayor and his administration.

Consequently, our town has seen a serious loss of jobs and many families have struggled to stay.  We have witnessed factory after factory close up shop and relocate elsewhere.

The residents and businesses in our community cannot afford more heartache and bad news.  Yet, the current mayor and his administration sought to increase spending and our mill rate.  We cannot afford the burden of higher taxes.

This is why I have decided to announce my candidacy to run for Tax Collector of the Borough of Naugatuck.  We need to begin to look at collecting taxes in a responsible manner that will benefit both resident and town.  The Naugatuck community deserves a new beginning, a new voice, a new future, and a new light for better things to come.  My years of marketable experience in the Finance field managing budgets with revenues of $500MM and higher from small to large fortune 500 companies (Pitney Bowes, Dianon Systems, USCO Logistics/Kuehne & Nagel Inc.), recovering millions of dollars in duplicate vendor payments and unaccounted for collection payments for organizations.  Currently, I help manage the Fayad family real estate holdings, which includes overseeing the day-to-day operations of various condos, single and multi-family unit properties throughout the state.

My superior leadership, management, organizational and financial management skills demonstrate that I am the right person for this position. We need to earn the public's trust and confidence by providing the best in customer service, assured quality and efficient use of public funds and we can begin to reignite that spark that Naugatuck once had and much deserves.

Thank you.