Paul Lundquist: The Patch Voter Guide

• My missions as a member of the Legislative Council is to make sure that the actions we take as a Council reflect the needs and desires of my district. A key need in this regard is to support responsible and adequate funding for road maintenance, municipal operations, recreation, and education. As the father of first and eighth graders, I want every family with kids in our schools to feel confident that I will be there at the table to argue and vote to support the needs of Newtown’s school system. Yet, funding our schools, and the town overall, must be done with full recognition and sensitivity to the tax burden it lays at the feet of our neighbors and others in town who no longer have kids in schools, have fixed incomes, or who are simply feeling the financial pressures of the recent home revaluation on top of an already struggling economy. A conservative approach to managing our town’s finances is appropriate. As a current member of the Legislative Council, I supported fiscally conservative financial policies and goals, and stood alongside my Republican and Democratic colleagues on many decisions and actions taken over the past two years. Yet I’ve also stood alone, or at times in a small minority, on issues where I didn’t agree. I believe that by funding appropriate levels of education and town budgets, coupled with sound fiscal policy, it is possible – even in times of economic challenge – to support investment in the long-term goals and interests of our community.

On The Issues

• The Education Budget

I look forward to the upcoming budget season, particularly focusing on the Board of Education budget. I expect a credible, no-nonsense budget from Dr. Reed, with clear rationale for any increases. And if there are proposed increases, I look forward to a crystal clear explanation of why and how costs are increasing in the face of an obviously contracting school population. I can support a moderate increase in education spending as long as I -- along with every other voter -- can understand why and where our tax money is spent.

• The Municipal Budget

Any increases in the Municipal budget over the past few years have been minimal. This is greatly appreciated.  Yet, I would look for greater opportunities for savings through ramped up efficiencies in finance, HR, procurement, and IT systems integration between the town and education staff, as well as through improvements in public works project management tracking. Collaboration between public works and parks & rec maintenance staff has benefitted the town with substantial savings on projects completed in-house, and this great work should also continue.  Beyond this, it’s still reasonable to seek greater scrutiny in the areas of public works and parks & rec since this is where a disproportionate amount of municipal spending is focused.

• Do you believe Newtown's tax structure needs improvements?

I support any measures we can take as a town to expand tax relief programs for Newtown’s seniors. I believe any tax relief offered should be needs-based, but we could potentially expand coverage by raising the threshold that qualifies “need.”  Which raises the question: how would we fund this expanded tax relief service to aid a small but important segment of seniors? The answer would most likely be through the goodwill of all other tax payers -- including the majority of Newtown’s seniors. I think we, as a community, should consider this type of program to help ensure that our residents who are most in need have the opportunity to continue living in our town.

The issue of revaluation is largely out of our hands as a local government, as I understand it, other than the limited opportunity to correct clerical errors. While it was a minority of homes that saw an increase in their tax liability, many of these increases were truly outrageous.  Additionally, every owner was hit with a straight increase in motor vehicle tax that reflected the full increase in the mill rate.  This only serves to heighten the urgency of controlling town spending and finding alternative town revenue sources (i.e., expanded commercial tax base) to help reduce the burden on property taxes for residents and small businesses.

• What is the most important issue facing residents of your district?

Encouraging Economic Development/Reducing Tax Burden on Personal Property Taxes. This is important for the entire town, but has direct implications to District 1 and Hawleyville. We must do everything we can as the Legislative Council to encourage economic development and expand the commercial tax base as a way to begin to reduce the hugely disproportionate reliance of town revenues on residential property taxes. This means getting existing, unused properties back on the tax roles, and encouraging appropriate commercial development in Hawleyville, Commerce Drive and Fairfield Hills. In Hawleyville, this means completing our investment in the sewer lines to the Rt6/Exit 9 area (exit 9 remains one of the only I-84 exits in the entire State that does not have any commercial development -- lack of sewer lines has reportedly been a primary barrier). Additionally, the recently completed Plan for Conservation and Development includes a vision for Hawleyville that mirrors the ‘village’ concept of downtown Sandy Hook.  These types of potential plans provide the commercial development and tax revenue that so many people desire -- yet, as a local Hawleyville resident I will be concerned and vigilant about the exact type of development that we invite into our district.

• On Fairfield Hills

The current vision for the Fairfield Hills campus supports a vibrant sustainable destination where all members of the community can go to enjoy recreational, social, cultural, and indoor and outdoor activities. The campus already provides a home for some municipal services and a gathering place for a variety of town-wide events. Small retail stores, restaurants, and professional offices are envisioned within a core section of the campus. The Master Plan provides a general roadmap, and the Legislative Council will help set the tone and pace for development through input and approval of the town’s Capital Improvement Plan, which impacts demolition of existing buildings and development of capital projects (i.e., walking trail system). As a member of the Fairfield Hills Master Plan Review Committee in 2011 and the Master Plan Amendment Work Group in 2012, this topic remains a top concern and interest to me.