Lower Taxes, Business Development a Shared Goal But Parties Vary on Approach

If there’s a difference between candidates of Southington’s major political parties – or the parties themselves – it appears to be a divide on how to eventually achieve lower taxes and enhance appropriate development in the community.

The 12 candidates for Southington Town Council on this year’s slate, six from each party, met face-to-face Tuesday evening during the first candidate forum and debate of the 2013 election season, hosted by the Southington Chamber of Commerce.


While the end foals, lower taxes and enhanced business development, were the same, Republican candidates seemed focus on consolidating power and service operations and focusing on infrastructure while those seeking seats from the Democratic side showed an importance in organizing and focusing volunteerism, preserving open space and lowering the mill rate.

“Our biggest liability at this point are the empty buildings in town,” said Republican candidate Paul Champagne. “Our biggest employer, The Hartford, has pulled out. If the infrastructure in our community collapses, so does economy around it. It’s time to put our focus on infrastructure and finding ways to attract and keep more commercial and industrial development and the right kind of development.”

Also represented Thursday were Republican candidates Tom Lombardi, Cheryl Lounsbury, Michael Riccio, Victoria Triano, Stephanie Urillo and Democratic candidates John Barry, Dennis Conroy, Christopher Kelley, Dawn Miceli, Christopher Palmieri, Donald Rinaldi.

It was an issue that reached across party lines, supported heavily by Riccio, Lombardi, Rinaldi and Kelley during various questions throughout the evening.

But to get there, Kelley and Barry each said the Town Council must find ways to lower the mill rate and focus on brining in businesses and acquiring open space to slow residential housing developments that are spurring up and increasing service needs such as police, fire, schools and other services without brining in equal amounts of taxes.

Miceli said the town also has a strong volunteer base and needs to capitalize on the services already provided through dozens of non-profit organizations to maintain or even enhance services without any additional costs to taxpayers.

“We have such a strong and dedicated group of volunteers. It’s something that sets Southington apart,” she said.

But Lombardi, Riccio and Lounsbury said the focus should rather be on upgrading technological services, attract more business through policy such as already established incentives and consolidate services the town already provides, including looking deeper at collaborations with the Board of Education.

Lombardi said focusing on purchasing land does not put the town in strong position moving forward. Instead, he said the town should refocus priorities to other areas to assure positive development.

Riccio added that continuing to focus on infrastructure such as renovations at the sewer treatment plant to reduce long-term and growing costs – Riccio said the plant costs $750,000 a year in energy costs alone – would be beneficial in producing positive long-term results.

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