VIDEO: Mayoral Candidates Outline Beliefs, Platforms

Mayoral candidates Donna Jacobson and Ron McDaniel  answered a wide-ranging series of questions Monday night, in the League of Women Voters candidates forum at Montville High School.

Jacobson, the current Town Council chairman, is an unaffiliated candidates endorsed by the Republican Party and the Independence for Montville party. She has lived in Montville her entire life. In her opening statement, she said “I have seen many disparities in the town, and it is my hope to bring these disconnects together.”

McDaniel, who was the town’s probate judge until Connecticut restructured the probate system this year, said he has been actively involved in the community for 17 years, as probate judge, town councilor, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals and school-related committees. He wants “to move Montville forward.”

Here are some of the questions and answers. Except where the responses are in quotes, they are synopses. 

What does the mayor do, and how will your past experience and education help you?

Jacobson answered that Montville is a “weak mayoral” form of government, and that by charter, the Town Council is the legislative body, with the mayor implementing the policy that the Town Council enacts. The mayor needs to be a cheerleader, she said, meeting with businesses, and being a liaison with them.

McDaniel disagreed with Jacobson’s description of the mayor’s position, saying that the mayor can have a lot of power. He also said that the mayor needs to be a cheerleader for the town.

How can Montville broaden the tax base?

McDaniel: Make sure the infrastructure is equipped to handle more business. Work with Economic Development  and Planning to get new businesses here, and “do everything we can” to keep and expand the businesses that are already here. Ask “What can we do to help you today?”

Jacobson: The plan of conservation and development specifically delineates what we should do for economic development and bringing up the tax base. Montville has shifted from an industrial base and needs to focus on tourism, such as the heritage trails. Additionally, Montville should look at tax incentives. “Incentives help.”

What plans do you have for the Montville Road bridge and Silver Falls bridge?

Jacobson: The Montville Road bridge is a boundary for Norwich and Montville. “Unfortunately, Montville can only provide so much funding.”  Negotiations have been ongoing, and there is money in the capital budget for the Montville side of the bridge.

McDaniel: The Montville Road bridge needs to be done. It’s always been a matter of funding. As far as Silver Falls, people in that area want that to be more a pedestrian or light travel bridge.

What have you done for the community in the past four years?

McDaniel: “For the last four years, I had the greatest job I’ve ever had,” serving people in times of crisis. He was also was involved with the leadership of the probate, including the consolidation of the office. “In that time, I got to see and meet a lot of good people in that town. I learned that people just want to be listened to.”

Jacobson: In 2007, she was a full-time student at UConn, in the master’s program, under full scholarship and with honors. A week before a friend of hers died, he asked if she would be interested in running for council. She did, and she won and became chairman “For the past two years, the council has worked toward many, many forward-thinking and original ideas.”

Tarragon has bought many properties along the Massapeag and Fort Shantok roads area. How would you find out their intentions?

Jacobson: She and McDaniel live “right around the corner of these properties.” A once pleasant “neighborhood has become a desolate wasteland.” We have homeless individuals living in them. At this point, Tarragon is in bankruptcy. The convoluted ownership of the homes makes it difficult to address the issue using the town’s blight ordinance.

McDaniel: That area “looks like Detroit on its worst day.” Neighboring properties are suffering, as well. The town should use the blight ordinance to force Tarragon to clean up those properties. Failing to do so, the town should go in and put liens on the properties and force the cleanup.

Name one issue that has not received proper coverage, and what you intend to do about it?

McDaniel: “The one thing people haven’t asked about is the disaster response to Irene. The bottom line is we did a good job with Irene. Our emergency management personnel had a lot of things in place.” The town needs to find ways to have communicate better when the power is out.

Jacobson: “The sex offender facility, and the fact that this is coming into our town. It is very serious in nature, it has cost the town money, and it has brought a new population” into Montville. Demographic change within the community, and housing and safety issues that come with it also need to be addressed.

What is your leadership style?

Jacobson: “My strengths are to listen, and to ask pertinent questions, and to value the citizens of the town. I value listening to different viewpoints, incorporating them into a plan, with a goal to work towards. There needs to be a connection with department heads, and right now, there is a major disconnect.” Her style would involve equity and fairness, as well as research and leadership skills.

McDaniel: “I guess I’m tough when I have to be, but I will reward employees and tell them when they’re doing a good job. When they’re doing a good job you should tell them they are. But then again as a manager, you need to be stern. I would say I’ll be a strong leader.”

Many town council candidates also answered questions in a forum that followed the mayoral candidates' forum. Come on back to the Montville Patch at 11 this morning to read about the town council candidates' forum.