Walsh Moves On to Fairfield Board of Finance

, James Walsh was appointed Wednesday to fill a vacant seat on Fairfield's Board of Finance.

Walsh will be replacing Kevin Kiley, , joining First Selectman Michael Tetreau and Selectman Cristin McCarthy Vahey.

It was Kiley who nominated Walsh to fill in for him as a Republican on the town's finance board.

"It is my pleasure to nominate Jim Walsh to the Board of Finance," Kiley said. "He always puts the interests of the town of Fairfield ahead of everything else."

Walsh was appointed unanimously to the finance board by the Board of Selectmen. He served in the role of selectman from May 2010 until June 14 of this year. Before that role, he served on the RTM from 1999 until he became selectman.

"You do your homework, you ask great questions," McCarthy Vahey said. "When we disagree, it's always in the most respectful way. We need more of that in public discourse."

Tetreau also lauded Walsh on his ability to respectfully disagree, adding that he's never heard anyone question Walsh's work nor his passion for the job.

Following the vote, Tetreau and McCarthy Vahey presented the former selectman and RTM member with a framed photo of the three of them.

"We'll miss you," Tetreau said, "and we assume you'll miss us."

As he opened the box containing the photo, Walsh joked, "Is this the key to the town I've been waiting for?"

On a serious note, Walsh embraced the challenge ahead of him as a member of the Board of Finance, "a board I've always respected -- nonpartisan, collegial, and does what's best for the town."

"I look forward to the challenge [of creating the budget] and will work to keep the tax rate as low as possible for the town," Walsh said.