Patch Candidate Profile: James Rocco, Avon Town Council

AVON, CT — Avon Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Avon resident James Rocco is running for the Avon Town Council as a Republican.

The following is Rocco's questionnaire sent to Patch:

Name

James Rocco

How old will you be as of Election Day?

38

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://ajdroney.wixsite.com/j...

What city or town do you live in?

Avon

What office are you seeking?

Town Council

Please give us your party affiliation.

Republican

Education

J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law, B.A. from Wagner College

What is your occupation?

Attorney (I earned my license to practice law in 2012)

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

My wife, Sarah Rocco, is an attorney at the law firm of Conway Stoughton in Hartford. Together we have two beautiful children. Our daughter Annachiara is 2 years old and our son Francesco is brand new, at the time of the November election he will be just about 5 months old.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I am employed with the Connecticut General Assembly as an attorney, but I am the only member of my family that works in politics or government.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

We moved to Avon because it's a beautiful small town with low property taxes and wonderful schools. Over the past five years, our mill rate has increased dramatically while the town council is currently considering awarding tax abatements to large property developers seeking to convert Avon's limited natural resources to hundreds of apartments that are completely out of character for the town. I want to put an immediate halt to our annual property tax increases and protect Avon's natural resources from destruction by those with no connection or concern to our small town and its residents.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

"The economy" In order to help our residents plan for our state's uncertain economic future I plan to make sure that their municipal property taxes do not continue to rise and that their property tax invoices remain predictable.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Many of the candidates running for town council are promising new services or new developments for our town: I am not. I love our town the way it is. My family moved here because of Avon's existing character and I intend to preserve it. I don't want to see it changed or lost to satisfy the desire of politicians who have grand ideas about the world.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

Our current Town Council is completely comfortable increasing property taxes on residents while providing tax abatements to large corporations seeking to build massive housing developments. To me, that does not seem fair. The residents who live and work in town, who attend church in town, who shop at the local businesses, and send their children to daycare and school in town should be considered first and foremost.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Supporting our law enforcement as they work tirelessly to protect our residents from the increase in property crimes.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have been employed as an attorney with the Connecticut General Assembly since 2014. My daily responsibilities include working directly with municipal, state, and federal government officials. During the past 9 years, I have worked alongside elected officials to accomplish many things including reforming occupational licensing laws, specifically in the construction trades to reduce unnecessary government red tape for licensed professionals, working with municipalities to secure grants for school construction and air quality improvements, and worked directly with constituents to help them obtain unemployment benefits when federal and state government officials ordered businesses closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I grew up in Granby and graduated from Granby High School in 2003. The Farmington Valley provided a wonderful childhood: it was safe and full of nature ready to be explored. I want my children to have a similar experience here in Avon, but to do that we need to keep the town an affordable place to raise a family and balance intentional development with the preservation of our limited natural resources. Ultimately, this is why I am running for Town Council.