Candidate Profile: Ron McDaniel

Editor's note: The following candidate profile comes from a questionnaire the candidate filled out.

 Ronald K. McDaniel, Jr., 47, is a Democrat running for the position of mayor of Montville.

McDaniel lives in Unvasville, and is self-employed, as the owner of Common Grounds, LLC, a condominium management firm. 

He earned his bachelor of arts degree from UConn in 1986, and his master's in public administration from UConn in 1988.

Though he is not in office now, he was a judge of probate from 2002 until this year, when the state restructured the probate system. He served on the Tonw Council from 1999-2002, and on the Zoning Board of Appeals from 1997-1999.

He has served as president, vice president, player agent, coach and field coordinator for the Montville National Little League (2001-10) and as a coach of Babe Ruth baseball. He has sat on the Montville School Building Improvements Committee, the Tyl Assistant Principal Search Committee, the House Committee and By-Laws Committee of the Montville Polish American Club. He is a life member of the Montville Historical Society and a member of various foster care,  adoption and persons-with-developmental-disability organizations.

What are the top issues facing the town, and how would you address them?

1. Infrastructure

Our infrastructure is a top priority.  We still have two bridges out, we require more and improved water and sewer services, improvements to our transfer station, road widening and resurfacing, and drainage improvements.  I will work with neighboring communities and planning agencies to develop a comprehensive long term regional plan in conjunction with the Montville Plan of Conservation and Development and the recently released seCTer Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.  I will dedicate myself to continue working with SCCOG, seCTer and other regional authorities and will ensure proper implementation of these plans by working in harmony with the Planning and Zoning Boards, the Economic Development Commission and the Town Council.

2. Education

We must continue to provide the very best education for our youth that we can afford. When you drive into Montville, one of the first things you see is a sign that declares that we are Proud of Our Schools. 

We must not lose focus on our youth who are our future. 

It is my goal to see Montville schools continuing to set the standard for education, not measuring up to it. I will work with the Board of Education to ensure that we develop STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skill sets to give our youth the ability to compete in this global economy.

3. Seniors and taxes

We need to find a way to keep our seniors from being taxed out of their homes by expanding tax exemptions, abatements or deferments. 

Additionally, we must embrace our cultural diversity and continue safety initiatives, expand community involvement, and find ways to develop more educational opportunities like the successful English Language Learners program which boasts a 100 percent college acceptance rate.

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

I think it was my sophomore year at UConn, when the U.S. Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team held open try-outs at the fieldhouse. My friends and I thought we were pretty good and decided to try out. 

Talk about humbling!  Those guys were unbelievable! 

We were all pretty beat up after the 15-minute experience. While recovering on the side, we found out that the guys we were playing against were the C- squad! Very, very embarrassing!