Board Of Finance Election Preview

The Board of Finance has four openings for the Nov. 8 election.

Member George Peteros, who has been on the board for 20 years, is not running for re-election. Instead, Peteros is running for the Representative Town Meeting.

Three incumbents, Democrats Rosalyn Dupuis and J.W. “Bill” Sheehan, and one Republican, Alan Wilensky, are running. The challengers are two Democrats who ran in 2009 and lost, Atul Shah and Cheryl Larder, and a newcomer, Republican Anthony Jessuck.

The Incumbents

Both Wilensky and Sheehan dissect every line item. Both have recommended cuts as small as $50 on regular basis during budget hearings.

In March, for all municipal employees. Wilensky was against the move, saying it was far too late in the year to ask for the freeze by July 1.

Dupuis , although . Her vote wound up being the decisive one, and the Board of Finance did not request a wage freeze.

Wilensky is also the chairman of the School Building Committee, which is currently overseeing the . Sheehan is involved in town government in a variety of ways, recently being the Board of Finance representative to the Board of Education during negotiations .

Dupuis did not return the questionnaire.

The Challengers

Cheryl Larder is running again, after losing her spot on the Board of Finance in 2009 (forst elected 2005). She served one term on the Board of Selectmen from 2003 to 2005. Larder is a paralegal.

Atul Shah ran unsuccessfully for the Board of Finance in 2009. Shah, an engineer, is the vice chairman of the Democratic Town Committee and an alternate on the Waterford Ethics Commission.

Anthony Jessuck is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo in Mystic. Jessuck has no elected experience in Waterford, although has volunteered coaching baseball and football, as well as being a troop leader in Cub Scouts.

He did not submit his three issues.

Questionnaires

Name: Alan Wilensky

Age: 51           

Employment (if retired, when and from what): Owner of Max’s Package Store, East Lyme. Family owned since 1946

Education: New London High School-1978;

Received a B.S. in Management from Bentley College in 1982,

Incumbent? (if yes, first elected when): Yes, elected to the Board of Finance in 2007

Previous elected experience:

Civic experience (appointments, nonprofits): Chairman of the Waterford School Building Committee, President: Connecticut Package Stores Association, 2-time Past President of the Rotary Club of Niantic

Top issues facing the town and his/her ideas:

1. Fiscal responsibility - Maintaining controls on town expenses and finding ways to keep costs down
2. Investigating and implementing the cost benefits of regionalization
3. Effectively budget and implement the Capital Improvement Plan to maintain municipal buildings and infrastructure (e.g. roads and pump stations).

Name: Atul Shah

Age: 44

Employment : Engineer for the past 19 years at the local office of a defense contractor

Education: Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, UConn;  Bachelor of Science (Summa Cum Laude) in Electrical Engineering, UConn;   1984 Graduate of Waterford High School

Incumbent? No

Previous elected experience: None (was a candidate for Waterford Board of Finance in 2009).

Civic experience: Alternate on the Waterford Ethics Commission (since Feb. 2010; current term ending Feb. 2012); Justice of the Peace in Waterford (since Jan. 2009; current term ending Jan. 2013); Member of the Waterford Democratic Town Committee since 2008 (Vice Chair since 2010); Volunteer for numerous political campaigns.

Top issue facing the town and his/her ideas:

1. With the difficult economic climate we currently face, we obviously need to be prudent with how our tax dollars are spent while at the same time making sure that the town has the resources to provide the essential services and functions that the citizens expect. While there is no simple answer here, taking a pragmatic, open-minded approach to issues is essential. I believe my training and experience as an engineer provide me with an analytical perspective that will be an asset to the Board of Finance.
2. Oversight of construction of the high school.
3. Dealing with the town’s aging infrastructure (sewers, roads, etc.)

Name: Anthony Jessuck, Jr.

Age: 42                                   

Employment (if retired, when and from what):

Financial Advisor Wells Fargo Advisors Mystic, CT

Education: Bachelors of Business Administration Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL

Incumbent? (if yes, first elected when) No

Previous elected experience: none

Civic experience (appointments, non-profits): Troop Leader Cub Scouts, Baseball Coach Wtfd Little League, Football Coach Waterford Youth Football, Past Member NL Rotary Club

Top issues facing the town and his/her ideas: Jessuck did not submit answers.

Name: John W. “Bill” Sheehan

Age: 70

Employment (if retired, when and from what): Retired – From US Navy in 1988; from second career at Ortronics, Inc in 2003; Site Coordinator and Local Logistics Officer for TOPOFF 3 – 2004-2005; Columnist Waterford Patch – 2010-2011

Education: BS in Naval Science, USNA – 1963; MBA – RPI - 1987

Incumbent? (if yes, first elected when) – Board of Finance - Yes - 2003

Previous elected experience: RTM 1989 to 1995; 1997 to 2001; Moderator 1998-2001

Civic experience (appointments, non-profits): Wtfd Drug and Alcohol Council – 1986-1987; ZBA-1995-1997; Chair Ad Hoc Committee for 1998 Plan of Conservation Preservation and Development-1995-1997; Charter Revision Commission 2002-2003 ; Officer SeCTer (regional economic development agency) – 1991-Present; Chair of DEMHS Region 4 Exercise and Training Committee; Red Cross Volunteer; MRC Volunteer; CERT Volunteer; Lector St Paul RC Church; Chairman – CT Nuclear Energy Advisory Council (NEAC)

Top issues facing and the town and his/her ideas:

1. Control of expenditures in bad economic times.  Key is getting personnel costs under control, especially health care and retirement costs.  Solution is not immediate – It requires First Selectman to negotiate with unions and forcing of State Legislature to make some statutory changes.  Until then, need to be as frugal as possible in operational expenditures.  BOF can encourage and support the First Selectman in these endeavors.
2. Aging Infrastructure, especially the sewer system.  Taking care of the schools has left the town with few alternatives to handle the necessary replacement of sewer pumps and other civic buildings.  Solution is in getting state and federal grants when available and targeted improvements.  It is better to repair on town schedule rather than on the equipment’s schedule (when it breaks).  Annual review of Capital Plan and the annual review of completed Capital Projects are times when BOF may make an impact in this area.
3. Regionalization of equipment and services.  It makes little sense to have a 911 dispatch center for each town in the region.  Major public works equipment that see limited use should be shared with neighboring towns so each only has to pay a portion of the cost.  Due to the unique nature of Connecticut municipalities and the real control of the State Legislature regionalization will not occur over night.  BOF is able to encourage and support the First Selectman in making this happen.

Name:  Cheryl Larder

Age:  49

Employment: Paralegal – 27 years, currently Geraghty & Bonnano, LLC

Education:  University of Hartford, BA. Criminal Justice

Incumbent? (if yes, first elected when): No

Previous elected experience: Board of Selectmen 2003 – 2005, Board of Finance 2005-2009.

Civic experience (appointments, nonprofits): Elections Moderator, PTA President, Southwest School (2 terms); Waterford Week Committee volunteer, Opsail 2000 CT volunteer; Retired Armed Forces Association Auxiliary

Top issues facing and the town and his/her ideas:

1. The balancing of controlled spending with preservation of services in the current troubled economic times is clearly the number one issue facing the town.  It has been and will continue to be a difficult balancing act.  The Board’s challenge will be to not only foster cooperation among town departments but also an acceptance of regionalizing services to meet the community’s needs.
2. Waterford’s aging infrastructure is clearly visible after the difficult winter months of 2011 and the recent effects of Irene.  Infrastructure improvements are costly but can be even more so if deferred beyond reasonableness.  I will be interested in revisiting Public Works’ roads rating system to see where we stand, as well as having an update from the Utility Commission and its plans/funding since the conversion of sewer rates and charges.
3. The completion of the high school project within budget and under the designated project cost contingencies is of personal interest and concern to me.  It was necessary to pass the high school renovation plan and provide a proper educational environment for our students.  However, school construction debt is the Town’s only debt and its impact on town finances cannot be understated.  The promises made regarding strict oversight of the project costs at the time the funds were approved must be kept.