Why are you running for this office?

I am running for Burgess in Naugatuck because the time has come for someone with common sense and drive to make needed structural changes in our Borough. I believe that my knowledge and experience in government can provide some much needed direction in that capacity. With residents struggling to pay their bills, the time has come for a new brand of action and someone who is willing to be an independent thinker. We cannot continue on the same old “rubber stamp” path and that is why I know I will be a great voice for the residents of the Borough of Naugatuck.

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)?

The most pressing issue facing our community is the high taxes Naugatuck residents pay. If elected, my top priority will be to stabilize and lower our mill rate and control our government spending. This can be achieved by expanding our tax base with new economic development and offering business incentives to both new businesses coming into the borough and businesses currently in the borough, while also supporting a budget that does not add needless spending. With more businesses generating more revenue for our borough and addressing our spending problem, our residents will finally receive the economic relief that they have been clamoring for.

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?

I believe we need to eliminate departmental raises and look to provide savings by out-sourcing or eliminating line-items that are not deemed a necessity for the fiscal year. I believe sitting down with department heads is the best way at getting the most accurate costs analysis of why they need the money and how it will be spent. We need to have all of our town departments working together and not competing against one another. I will look to bring a more systematic approach to crafting the budget. There must be more transparency with the individual budgets and when savings are found they should be returned to the people, not spent on other items that are not necessary. We need to restore common sense when it comes to structuring our budget. Just as important, we need to begin focusing on our debt and liabilities. Finally, I will take into account the need to focus on restoring our reserve fund (which is below the minimum recommendation).

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?

I cannot support adding another method of taxation to our already burdened Naugatuck tax payers. This tax and spend philosophy has been government’s problem all along. We do not have a tax/revenue problem. We have a spending problem. You cannot tax your way out of financial problems. That is enormously evident on the state level. We need to restore fiscal responsibility in our town by living within our means and not spending more than what we can afford.

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

I am in favor of regionalizing services with communities, but only if those services are properly managed; structured in a way to provide the best outcome for the Borough of Naugatuck; and decrease our borough’s financial liability. A larger analysis of current services and future services, focused on quality of service, feasibility, complexity of the service, and location of service, among many other facts, would need to be performed before any considerations/decisions can be made toward regionalization.

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

This is not a yes or no question. We would need to properly analyze all factors including student enrollment numbers. The fact that enrollment goes down does not negate the need for teachers, staff and operating expenses. If the enrollment decreases significantly, we need to look at that closely and see if there are savings that can reasonably be achieved. State funds should never simply be tied to student enrollment.

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

I have been involved in our community and giving back to the Borough from a very young age. I have worked with numerous town departments, including four summers with the Naugatuck Parks and Recreation Department and Public Works Department; and interning with the Naugatuck Police Department. I have volunteered as a coach, as part of the Naugatuck Youth Soccer Association and have volunteered as an annual public speaker at Naugatuck High School for the past six years to discuss life in college with high school students. Lastly, I am a member of the Naugatuck Portuguese Club and try to volunteer at as many events as I can. I love this town and intend to help it grow.