Editor’s note: Chris Roy is a Republican candidate for Vermont Secretary of State.
In 2010, Vermonters are demanding greater honesty, ability and common sense from their public officials. This is understandable when establishment politicians frequently serve up heaping portions of political rhetoric that is simply a reheated version of the status quo.
The Secretary of State is directly involved in ensuring government is transparent and effective at the local and state levels. After two decades of private sector work and volunteer service outside Montpelier, I am prepared to serve Vermonters by performing the duties of the office from day one.
Responsibilities for the office include campaigns and elections, coordination of 45 professional licensing boards, oversight of Vermont’s regulatory process, business registrations, and support for local officials. The unifying theme connecting these functions is good, transparent government accessible to all Vermonters.
The Secretary of State must be someone with broad experience working in a nonpartisan fashion. He must be comfortable working with Vermonters on Main Street more than State Street. Too often, candidates touting support from inside government are more concerned about their future than they are about real reform.
Running for office is not a decision I take lightly. As a father of three young sons, practicing attorney, and member of the Williston Selectboard, I keep busy. But when approached last year about a possible run for Secretary of State, I agreed to consider the possibility.
Before I was willing to run, I wanted to be confident I could look people in the eye and tell them I was the most qualified candidate for the job. After meeting with people across Vermont whose opinions I value, I concluded that my legal and volunteer service dovetailed with the requirements of the office.
As an attorney, I have represented clients before municipal boards and state licensing boards. I have assisted businesses and individuals as they attempt to navigate their way through Vermont’s outdated and maze-like regulatory system.
As a community volunteer, I have worked on difficult policy issues with people from across the political spectrum. For instance, I have done so as an elected member of the Williston Selectboard, which made the tough decisions and produced a transparent, level-funded budget the last two years despite increasing costs.
I believe our elected leaders must focus on their duties and perform them well before looking to expand their powers, especially when someone is new to an elected position. Vermonters, and Americans, have become suspicious of ever-expanding government with public officials looking to take on new programs and initiatives before they have demonstrated they can handle their existing responsibilities.
There is more to governing than bullet points and political rhetoric. Our elected officials must lead by doing the job they were hired to do. If the Secretary of State does not perform the duties of the office, no one else will. Simply put, he needs to tend the store.
I have a five-point reform plan within the scope of the Secretary of State’s core responsibilities. My plan involves (1) leveraging technology to deliver better service, (2) modernizing the laws affecting municipalities, (3) streamlining public document and meeting laws, (4) continued improvement of the professional regulatory system, and (5) overhauling Vermont’s statutes regarding the enactment and enforcement of regulations. I would also bring a renewed focus to the enforcement of campaign and election laws.
From listening to my grandparents on their Derby dairy farm as a child, to growing up in Barre as my parents built a small granite business, the consistent message I have always heard and taken to heart is the need to do your job and do it well. To treat people courteously, with respect and honesty. To work with anyone willing to help in good faith to achieve common sense solutions to problems. This is the straightforward approach to leadership that I would bring to the Secretary of State’s Office, and I hope it is an approach worthy of your support.
