Why are you running for this office?

I have been a member of the Plainville community for 41 years. I have always been involved. I believe that being a member of a community means I should give more than I take. I want to serve the people of Plainville and continue to give back to my community.

What is the most pressing local issue facing your community and how would you solve it (within the capacity of the office for which you are running)?

Currently, state budget uncertainty is the most pressing issue facing out community. We need to be cautious in town budgeting and spending until we know the full impact of the state budget issues. A bi-partisan effort to develop a contingency plan that can be implemented in the event of the loss of ECS funding or any other reduction to town funding would be the first step. The town council along with the town manager, department heads and input from the people of Plainville will need to determine how to best allocate funds in the event of a significant loss of state funding.

With the state's ongoing budget crisis looming over the election, what are your plans for your community's budget? Is there anything you can do make your town less dependent on revenue from the state?

Increasing taxes on the people of Plainville is not the way to make Plainville less dependent on revenue from the state. Growing Plainville's tax base is the way to increase revenue. We need to find a way to continue to bring businesses to Plainville. Through our support of our local business people, we can grow the tax base and be less dependent on the State of Connecticut.

The legislature has been debating various ideas to allow towns to raise revenue locally through something other than property taxes. If you could ease your residents' property tax burden by adding another method of taxation, is there anything you might consider for your town?

The last thing anyone in this community needs is another method of taxation. The only solution is to grow the tax base.

Are you in favor of regionalizing more services in conjunction with other nearby communities? If so, which ones?

When I was on the Board of Education, we began the process of sharing services with the town. There were cost savings with such a consolidation. We currently are served by some regional services such as Plainville Southington Health District and Region 19 District Probate Court. I am in favor of exploring the possibility of combining or regionalizing other services with other communities. More research is required before making a recommendation on specific services.

Should your school district get the same amount of education funding from the state if your district's enrollment is dropping?

Until the state is prepared to stop pushing unfunded mandates on towns and school districts, they can continue to fund at current levels. The state government has created an exodus from Connecticut. Enrollment is dropping all across Connecticut. However, the state continues to increase district costs by making unilateral decisions and mandates on education and then refusing to fund those mandates. The state is causing a large percentage of the yearly cost increase to run a school district. If the state were paying their part for the mandates, I would be in favor of funding being determined by enrollment numbers. However, the state is driving up costs to towns. Therefore, they can fund the excess costs they create.

What's one thing most people don't know about you?

I have lived in Plainville for 41 of my 42 years. I am kind of an open book. I don't think there is much the people of Plainville don't already know about me.