Maurice “Kirk” Carr, who in the past worked for The Wall Street Journal, said the reason he decided to run for the first selectman’s spot as a Republican is that he “saw a tremendous unmet need in the leadership of the town that the incumbents were not meeting.”

Carr, who serves as an alternate on the Board of Finance, said that controlling tax increases and creating a plan for commercial development will be his chief concerns if elected.

Carr believes that, with state funding cuts and stalled development, the next two to four years will be a time of financial stress in Clinton. Carr said that two of his goals if he were elected would be to “get the cost of government down to a level that’s sustainable” and promote economic development.

“I’d do a very aggressive outreach to businesses in town to take their temperature,” Carr said.

Carr also pointed to town planning as an area he believes he can help improve.

“We tend to fixate on a plan and not a contingency,” said Carr.

Regarding the Old Morgan School where a developer recently pulled out, Carr said he consider the possibility of dividing the site into “a couple different projects.”

“It might be less challenging,” said Carr. “Our biggest taxpayer, Clinton Crossings, is sitting across from a deteriorating lot.”

Carr also spoke of other unmet needs he sees affecting Clinton. He cited a “complete lack of resources” and a lack of contact between the Board of Selectmen and boards as issues he would work to correct.

“I think most people in town don’t like the way the town is going,” said Carr. “I think the Board of Selectmen has been lax.”

Carr regularly attends many board and commission meetings, and often records the meetings so that interested viewers can watch the meetings on YouTube.