Cheshire Election: Lynn Alvey Dawson Running For Town Council

CHESHIRE, CT — The 2021 municipal election is heating up in Cheshire with plenty of races on the ballot.

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 2 and cast their ballots for seats on the Town Council, Board of Education, Planning and Zoning Commission and more.

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

Democrat Lynn Alvey Dawson, 63, is running for election as Cheshire Town Council At-Large.

Occupation: Attorney

Family: 3 adult daughters, 33 year old twins and a 29 year old. I am the proud grandmother of a 3 year old, with another expected in November 2021

Experience: none

Family in government: no

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

School Modernization. I intend to listen to the residents and the Education experts in deciding how to move forward. But, we must move forward. The status quo is not acceptable. Our children deserve better than 60 year old schools.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Though I cannot speak specifically about any of the Cheshire Town Council candidates, it has been my observation that many public officials, locally and nationally, have lost touch with their constituents. It is my hope to involve the residents of Cheshire in the policy decisions and listen to their positions.

Accomplishments:

I have been a practicing attorney for more than 30 years. My primary focus right now is family and custody law. For 16 years, I practiced exclusively in the juvenile court system in Connecticut. As a new law school graduate, I worked as a prosecutor in a child abuse division of a District Attorney's Office.

My lifetime experience working with a diverse group of individuals, many experiencing difficult life challenges, has taught me patience, tolerance, empathy and understanding. Having the responsibility of advocating for these diverse individuals during extraordinary circumstances, has been an honor. These are skills I will bring to my role as Town Councilor.

Other issues:

I truly believe that our community can benefit from the engagement of more residents. The number of individuals that have attended public forums on the school modernization issue demonstrates the depth of talent and enthusiasm that exists in our town. I want to keep the residents engaged, keep them informed and listen to their positions. As a Public Officer, it would be my job to represent the wishes of my constituents. Listening to the voters should always be my first response.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I am passionate about environmental issues. Cheshire spends millions of dollars every year on trash removal. This is a situation that is likely to get worse as we run out of places to deposit that waste. We need to get creative about recycling and composting and minimizing trash to lessen our costs and our carbon footprint.

Are you running for office in Cheshire? Email vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile on Cheshire Patch.