Thank you to the final 9 that put me on the ballot as an independent candidate to be Fairfield’s First Selectman, saying we want choice and reform.

Thank you to the 44 who came out for me in the bitter cold.

Thank you to the 47 that made me the winner by a landslide in the online ranked choice poll.

Thank you for the 141 dollars you filled the boots with for the Affordable Homes pre-order list, which will help anyone realize the American Dream of home ownership.

Thank you to the 230 signatories who jumped at the chance to change things. Choosing a color from the cool 4-in-1 pen was your first expression of self-rule.

Thank you to the 1,000+ I formed micro relationships with, listening, understanding, empathizing, sympathizing, joining.

Thank you for giving me a PhD in Fairfield. There are dimensions to you and our town I never dreamed existed. I learned that the beauty of Fairfield is not in our spectacular outdoors, but in you. There was not one nasty person, not one… only genuine, nice, concerned people exactly like me who are interesting and interested in our world.

You’re stunned over what’s happening to our town. You’re hurt. Angry. And resolved to regain control.

You may not believe it yet, but you can have these things. Times have changed and you now have great power. And with great power comes great responsibility to create the town you want to live in, and leave behind.

As a shout-out to Bad Bunny for singing in Spanish in the upcoming Super Bowl, te amo.

Your friend and neighbor,

Matthew Hallock