Candidate profiles: Prospect Town Council (Democrats) 

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The Citizen’s News asked candidates running for Prospect Town Council in the Nov. 5 municipal election four questions. The responses from candidates endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee are below:

Theresa Cocchiola Graveline

Theresa Cocchiola Graveline

Age: 60

Party: Democrat

Education: Bachelor’s degree in nursing and Spanish, Salve Regina College

Political Experience: Town Council (12 terms); Democratic Town Committee (vice chairman)

Occupation: Owner and finance manager of United Capital Services Corporation

Why are you running for Town Council?

“My husband, Mark, and I both grew up in Prospect and chose to raise our family here because we believe in the values of life in a small town. My deep love for Prospect motivates me be active in our town government; to use my knowledge, education, skills and talents to safeguard and ensure Prospect’s financial stability and to preserve its character and community values.”

What do you feel is the most important issue facing Prospect and how will you address it?

“We need to protect Prospect’s future by bringing our government processes up to modern standards of efficiency, oversight and policy. There are very few written policies, procedures or standards for town practices such as, financial checks and balances, bid processes, economic development, facilities management, and many others, including hiring and benefits for employees. (Prospect does not have a payroll service or human resources department). Most of this information is not shared, but rather, is locked up in the mind of the one person who has controlled this town for more than four decades. This lack of written policies to ensure continuity for all town operations puts this town at great risk since it is inescapable that, one day, the current regime will change. I am committed to improving efficiency, achieving cost savings through technology and innovation, and to making certain that the inevitable transition in Prospect’s future is a smooth one.”

How will you approach crafting a budget and setting a tax rate?

“In the upcoming term, the council will continue to face the impact of diminished state funding for Prospect. I will continue my practice of paying attention to details, evaluating the budget by reviewing historical expenditures, with emphasis on making accurate projections and preparing for future needs, continuing to provide essential services as well as additional programs, which enhance the quality of life in Prospect. The mill rate must always be set to achieve collection of sufficient revenue to cover our budget, without over-taxing our citizens. State and federal grants are an important source of revenue, which must be actively and consistently pursued to help keep the mill rate down.”

What is your message to the voters?

“I encourage all voters to focus on people, not the political party. I encourage them to take the time to learn of the experience and capabilities each candidate will bring to the table and consider the significant benefits of electing individuals to whom Prospect’s best interests matter more than party loyalty. It is detrimental and costly to continue to elect a political majority, which simply rubber stamps a single individual’s outdated methods and directives. It is vital to implement a system of checks and balances for financial oversight and planning for the future of Prospect. The primary focus of every initiative and decision I make as a council member will always be to safeguard Prospect’s financial stability and to enhance life in our town.”

Larry Fitzgerald

Larry Fitzgerald

Age: 68

Party: Democrat

Education: BS, MS, 6th Year in Educational Leadership

Political Experience: Town Council (four years)

Occupation: Catholic school principal; Retired lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army

Why are you running for Town Council?

“I am running for Town Council so I can continue to work for the citizens of Prospect in keeping taxes down. Prospect is a great town but people have to be able to afford to live here. We can do better when it comes to the town budget. I also want to see transparency in town government and working to modernize how the town operates.”

What do you feel is the most important issue facing Prospect and how would you address it?

“I feel the most important issue facing Prospect is keeping taxes as low as possible, while at the same time providing the services that the residents expect.”

How will you approach crafting a budget and setting a tax rate?  

“I will approach crafting a budget by going through the budget line by line. In cases where the town has over budgeted in certain areas, we must look to make cuts. We need to always look for better ways to accomplish things and not rely on how it has been done for the last 40 years. We need to bring in more grants, such as the grant for sidewalks. The town needs to hire a dedicated grant writer to help in this process.”

What is your message to the voters?

“As Prospect continues to grow, we must work to bring our town into the 21st century. Many processes that are used in Town Hall are outdated. With unionized personnel now working for the town there is a need for a dedicated human resources manager. Town government must be transparent and work for the residents. I plan on continuing that work. There are many qualified candidates running for Town Council and I hope that Prospect residents will show up at the polls and vote for the individuals who they feel will work for them and not just vote party line.”

Daniel Moore

Daniel Moore

Age: 34

Party: Democrat

Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology

Political Experience: None

Occupation: Court Planner 1 for the Connecticut Judicial Branch

Why are you running for Town Council?

“I grew up in Prospect and have lived here for 25 years. I want to contribute and play a meaningful role in Prospect’s future. It’s important everybody’s voice is heard. Today, Prospect is a much different town than it was 20 years ago and I want to make sure it goes in the best direction for everybody while maintaining our high standards. There is a lot of room for improvement and I want to be a part of bringing some positive change and new ideas in the legislative process.”

What do you feel is the most important issue facing Prospect and how would you address it?

“Transparency. The Town Council has been waiting 18 months for certain invoices to reconcile. Why would this administration hold up the Town Council in such a manner? Consistent lack of transparency seems to be an ongoing issue, and I’d like to discuss that further in the appropriate setting. The Town Council shouldn’t have to utilize the Freedom of Information Act to reconcile this lack of transparency. Town taxpayers and residents deserve expedient and efficient service. I’d like to see all servants of Prospect work in harmony for the greater good of the town.”

How will you approach crafting a budget and setting a tax rate? 

“Carefully. At this level we need to ensure our tax dollars are going as far as we can possibly spread them. We need to be as objective as possible and make decisions based on the best interests of the town at large. Just because something has been done the way it has been done for X number of years, doesn’t make it the best or most efficient way. I think one could make an argument we aren’t aggressively or even casually pursuing grants afforded to small towns like ours. Because we aren’t pursuing these funds, we’re losing them to surrounding towns who are simply putting their names in for consideration and our taxpayer money is being used as a substitute.”

What is your message to the voters?

“We need to embrace change. Prospect has had the same faces involved over and again for many years. Experience is valuable, but we also need to welcome the next generation. As a longtime resident, I appreciate the wonderful qualities of this small town. It’s time to address 21st century problems and introduce new technologies.”

Paul T. Murray

Paul T. Murray

Age: 61

Party: Democrat

Education: Bachelor’s degree in human services concentration, University of Connecticut

Political Experience: Hamden Inland Wetlands Commission

Occupation: Former owner of Andrews & Murray Insurance Group; Associate director of admissions at Quinnipiac University

Why are you running for Town Council?

“It has always been my priority and pleasure to give back to the community in which I live. I am a past president of the Hamden Rotary Club, served on the Hamden Inland Wetlands Commission and the Board of Directors of Notre Dame High School. I am also a member of the Naugatuck Exchange Club, and the Governor’s Advisory board for Donate Life CT. As the owner of Andrews & Murray Insurance Group, I was fortunate to have many clients and personal contacts in Prospect. The warmth of this community made me eager to make my home here three years ago. I have the professional experience and business acumen needed to find responsible innovative solutions to our problems, and I have an independent voice, which Prospect citizens deserve. I am committed to keeping Prospect the best small town in Connecticut.”

What do you feel is the most important issue facing Prospect and how would you address it?

“I feel that, more than anything else, Prospect needs to have checks and balances in our town government. I respect our mayor’s compassion and dedication to Prospect. That said, we all deserve accountability and transparency from our elected officials in our budgets and programs. No one person or party always has the best solutions. I will provide an independent voice in our discussions and decisions, and not just the status quo.”

How will you approach crafting a budget and setting a tax rate?

“As an owner of a small business I had to constantly monitor our budget. Were we on target for revenue and were our expenses in check? Were we spending in the right areas? Could we reduce our spending? Similarly, the town budget needs to be constantly monitored, looking at our spending and income sources. A budget is fluid throughout a term. The budget must be crafted in such a way that all line items are scrutinized and measured. Expenses and spending needs to be transparent to the Town Council and our citizens. We need to use technology for efficiency and pursue grants that are available to us, all the while planning for the future. Are our taxes fair? Is one population paying more than others? Can we reduce our mill rate with better control of our spending? I will work as hard as possible to have realistic and honest answers to these questions.”

What is your message to the voters?

“Prospect is a wonderful place to live. I am not running against anyone for Town Council. I am running with an independent voice for all of us. I will do what is right for our citizens, not what is right for the Republican Party or Democratic Party. If elected, I will be visible and available to listen to your concerns and find answers to your questions, and pursue reasonable solutions for your problems. You have five votes for Town Council, I would be honored if you would vote for me, Paul Murray, Row A.”

Patricia Sullivan Geary

Patricia Sullivan Geary

Age: 74

Party: Democrat

Education: Bachelor’s degree in secondary education English major, Southern Connecticut State University; Master’s degree in educational foundations, Central Connecticut State University; sixth year degree in education, New England University

Political Experience: Town Council (17 terms, former vice chairman); Board of Recreation (former member and vice chairman)

Occupation: Retired Region 16 teacher; presently a tutor at Long River Middle School

Why are you running for Town Council?

“I have always felt that it’s important for citizens to be involved in their community, including its government. I have been a resident of Prospect for 49 years, raised my family here and worked here in the regional school district. Based on these perspectives, I believe I have the experience to represent Prospect’s citizens on the Town Council. As a result of my tenure on the council, I have the knowledge and capability to make informed financial and legislative decisions based on common sense and responsibility to the taxpayers. It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Prospect and I hope the voters will allow me to continue in this role.”

What do you feel is the most important issue facing Prospect and how would you address it?

“The most important issue for me continues to be finding ways to expand our revenue base so that we can reduce the burden of taxes on our citizens. Not only do we need to continue to attract new businesses, but we must also develop and implement a plan to safeguard the businesses that already exist. This includes improvements to the infrastructure, particularly on the Route 68 and Route 69 commercial corridors. This can be accomplished by the aggressive pursuit of grants available from both the federal and state governments, and the involvement of the Economic Development Commission which, unfortunately, continues to be relatively inactive.”

How will you approach the crafting of the budget and setting a tax rate?

“Crafting a municipal budget is similar to preparing our own household budgets. We first address the necessities: utilities, police, public works, education, senior services, maintaining infrastructure, etc., and then we consider our ‘wants.’ including citizen and department requests and additional infrastructure improvements. We scrutinize each request carefully. Once our budget is completed and approved by the taxpayers at a town meeting, we set a mill rate ensuring that the revenues needed to support the approved budget will be collected. Balancing the needs of the town with the ability of the taxpayer to pay is always the highest priority.”

What is your message to the voters?

“My message to the voters is simple: Get involved. Your elected officials are your representatives. If we are to do our jobs well, we need your input. Communicate with us. Share your thoughts, ideas, questions and opinions. Send an email or write a letter. Make a phone call or attend a meeting. Be an activist. Participate. Prospect is your town. Get involved.”