Patch Candidate Profile: Rob Wallace, Bethel P & Z Commission

BETHEL, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Bethel and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Bethel Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Senior communications manager Rob Wallace is running for election to the Bethel Planning & Zoning Commission as a Democrat. He holds a Masters of Arts degree in communications from the University of Baltimore, and has two children with his wife, Robin, who owns the Daily Fare bakery in the Bethel train station.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

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

Inland Wetlands commissioner 2012-2016
Planning & Zoning Commission (alternate) 2019-present

Why are you seeking this office?

The past four years as a P&Z alternate has taught me a lot, and I’m eager to take the next step to a full seat on the commission. I love our region's trails so I'm an advocate for classic “smart growth” principles that concentrate growth in the already-developed areas of town while protecting forests, trails, and natural resources.

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

the local economy including job availability and rising housing costs. Where I am able to consider these issues in deliberating a P&Z issue, I will always keep them in mind.

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

We all have the best interests of the town at heart. I approach my decisions about P&Z issues from the standpoint of focusing growth and development in core developed areas, where services exist, so that open spaces can be preserved. I believe the "Bethel Forward" TOD plan is a solid roadmap for the future as long as it's applied thoughtfully and carefully.

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

My commitment to the community runs deep. I've served on the Inland Wetlands Commission and on the boards of the Bethel Chamber of Commerce, Bethel Land Trust, Bethel Arts, Preservation Advocates for Terre Haute, and the steering committee for the Franc Nature Preserve. I lead hikes in the Terre Haute portion of the Ives Trail and recently coordinated the cleanup of an illegal tire dump at the Terre Haute trailhead.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Get your valves adjusted every 100k miles.

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

Partisanship is poison. It has no place in local elections. Vote for people who are passionate and show up, not the party line.