Fairfield Candidate Profile: Chris McAleese For TPZ

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

Fairfield Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will continue covering the races as Election Day draws near.

Chris McAleese is running for Town Plan and Zoning Commission as a Democrat. He is a current commission member, a former Representative Town Meeting member and a tech ed teacher at Roger Ludlowe Middle School.

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Candidate responses appear as they were received and have not been edited by Patch staff.

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

Controlled, responsible growth.

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

We are still working on rebuilding our tax base following the loss of the GE property in particular, and ideally we would like to reduce taxes for residents. This can be done through responsible planning and zoning as I believe we have shown with approvals for assisted living facilities in Town that have added significantly to the commercial side of our tax base.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

We have to work hard to allow for development while also controlling the aesthetics through size and use restrictions. The recent work done on the TOD study is a perfect example, where the Commission has tried to control the balance of Residential with Commercial listening to arguments from all sides. The next big step is to take what the Study provides us and as projects come before us try to interpret them relative to the TOD Study recommendations.

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

I've been doing it for 4 years already, and served on the RTM for years. Such experience provides the basic "process" skills that are essential to participating in a meeting, knowledge of Roberts Rules for example. My years as a practicing Architect helps tremendously in my ability to read drawings easily and quickly and shed a different perspective on projects for other Commissioners.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Read a thing out loud, think, edit, and ask yourself if you would hit "send" if you knew your mother was on the receiving end.

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

I have not had the chance to observe other Commissions in action, but I have witnessed a few of the Boards, Education, Finance and Selectmen in particular. TPZ works for the people, party really does not come into play. My positions are simple, I live here, my children live here, and I want what is best for them and you. I do not want Fairfield Metro, for example, to wind up looking like Stamford south of 95