Cheshire Candidate Profile: Walsh For Town Council

CHESHIRE, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Cheshire and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Cheshire Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Don Walsh, 59, is running for a seat on the Town Council in the 3rd District as a Republican.

Are you running for office in Cheshire? Contact Vinnie Salzo at vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Cheshire Patch.

Family:

Wife-Jenifer, Daughter-Cara, 21, Son-Patrick, 18

Education:

BS degree in Business/Economics Southern Connecticut State University, Graduate Gemologist, Gemological Institute of America

Occupation:

Owner DW Gem Services, LLC in Cheshire. New business after working in management in the jewelry industry for 37 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:

Planning and Zoning Alternate Commissioner

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

We will be facing some very big financial issues in Cheshire. We will have a new Masters Facility Plan for our schools, which will require funding. We will have losses in state aid and additional unfunded mandates. The state could also drop the teacher's pensions back on the towns. All of these require more funding from our town. We can't expect the home owners to carry this burden alone so we need to aggressively go after quality economic development. As a commissioner on the Planning and Zoning Commission, we approved Tax Increment Financing, we added the Highland Avenue Design District and made changes to the Interchange Special Development District which will be making the properties in the north end of town more enticing to businesses. The changes we made will also allow us to hold on to final design approval. We also need to work with the Ball and Socket people to assist with the development of that area. There are a lot of exciting areas in our town that, when developed, will add to the appeal of Cheshire while also adding to our grand list.

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

As a resident of Cheshire and living in the 3rd District for the past 23 years, I require that the person representing me on the town council has specific traits. Honesty, fairness and good morals are extremely important to me in my representative. I also want them to be my voice on the council. When I ran 2 years ago and lost to Mr. Falk by 66 votes, I called him and asked him to please be more engaging during the meetings. He was not. He attended nearly 100 meetings in the past 2 years (very credible), but only spoke at 15% of them. We need leaders who can offer comments, suggestions and solutions. Just attending meetings does not cut it. You have to be engaged. I am a leader and I go into meetings prepared. I am a good listener and a critical thinker and I'm not afraid to offer my ideas and solutions.

I am not a town employee like Mr. Falk, who is a police officer. He has to recuse himself from all police matters. Although he may say it isn't many, it is still a large part of our budget and we should have input from all council members. Being a union member and town employee, it could affect when he has to vote on other town employee contracts or personnel issues. Our town charter clearly states that town employees cannot serve on the council but a state law overrides it, unfortunately.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

I love this town. When my wife and I were looking for a place to raise a family, we found Cheshire. For the past 23 years, this has been our home. Sometimes, when you are born and raised in a town, you don't know anything else. We researched and found this town to have everything we wanted. I want to make sure I can continue to live here when I am ready to retire. I don't want to be forced out because of the high taxes. We need to make sure that we continue to keep the parts of our town that we all love while adding new amenities. My vow to the people of the 3rd District is that I will fight to keep Cheshire affordable for all through progressive thinking and strategic planning.

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

My wife and I started Cheshire's Lights of Hope in 2005. I created the makeup of our committee of 25 members and the procedures for selling and implementation of the event. I have been the president of the organization since its inception. To date, we have raised over $915,000, much of which has been given to local charities such as the Cheshire Community Food Pantry, Cheshire Youth and Social Services, and the Cheshire's Lights of Hope Scholarship Fund. I see first-hand that there are many people in Cheshire who need assistance and I want to make sure we can take care of all of our neighbors.

I am also a new business owner in town. I have recently opened a personal jewelry business in an office in Cheshire to show my further commitment to this town.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Be yourself! I am who I am and hopefully the voters will see that I have the traits and qualifications to be a member of the town council and I will be a strong voice for all of Cheshire.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am not a lifelong politician. As a matter of fact, I just got into politics 2 years ago. For 37 years, I worked for a jewelry company overseeing a multi-million-dollar division. I handled everything, purchasing, inventory, budgets, sales, hiring and firing. I have a very well-rounded background.

Besides Cheshire's Lights of Hope, I also started Team Jenifer in honor of my wife who has multiple sclerosis and is one of the toughest fighters you will ever meet. We have raised over $350,000 for MS in the past 20 years through a variety of charity events.

As I mentioned, I love this town and I feel I have a lot more to offer than my opponent.

Campaign Website:

www.dwalshforcheshire.com