Jeff Steele Running For Fairfield RTM District 2

FAIRFIELD, CT — It's election season in Fairfield, and Patch is here to help you get to know the candidates running for local office in 2021 before voters head to the polls Nov. 2.

Questionnaire responses appear as submitted by candidates.

Republican Jeff Steele, 53, is running for Fairfield RTM.

Occupation: Business Development

Family: Brenda Steele - Wife - Director, Bigelow Center for Senior Activities, Fairfield CT

Alex Steele - Son (21) - Junior at Trinity College, Hartford CT

Ben Steele - Son (19) - Sophomore at Salve Regina University, Newport, RI

Julia Steele - Daughter (16) - Junior at Warde High School, Fairfield CT

Experience: Fairfield RTM Member - 2019-2021 and 2005-2015

Family in government: My wife Brenda works for the Town of Fairfield at the Bigelow Center for Senior Activities

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

The single most pressing issue facing our town is making sure our citizens, particularly young people, are staying safe and healthy as we climb out of the Covid era. This ranges from protecting oneself from Covid and its variants through vaccination, to maintaining awareness of mental illness and its impact on adults and youth, to staying vigilant of the dangers of potential abuses of social media within our community. I intend to stay involved in these issues as both an RTM member and a citizen, and and will seek to establish a Mental Health Task Force on the RTM to create greater awareness of mental illness and push for all resources possible to deal with the crisis we see in today’s society.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Having been on the RTM for 12 of the past 16 years and having served in the leadership of my party for many years, as well as Moderator of the entire body for almost 4 of those years, I bring experience on the issues, an understanding of how to be an effective representative, a knowledge of the town, and a passion for good, accountable, and and fair government.

Accomplishments:

I would say that my 12 years of serving on, and being reelected to, the RTM, as well as being chosen and elected to serve in several leadership roles by my RTM colleagues, would be evidence of my ability to handle this job. Further, my ability and experience working across the political aisle and with other elected town bodies, government workers, and and the public on a multitude of issues would further demonstrate my knowledge and ability to handle the job.

Other issues:

I am a strong advocate for policies that promote mental health, first class public schools and education, watching our spending, keeping taxes low, introducing green/renewable/sustainable technologies and practices into our community, increasing our commercial tax base, and and maintaining accountability within our government and among our elected leaders.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I try to be a practical, balanced, well-researched, and thoughtful decision maker. I feel that everyone in this town has a voice and should be heard, and that we can all maintain a respectful attitude and approach to how we communicate with one another. I am someone who looks at the fairness and logic of the issues I vote on, versus the politics. We have to all work together and consider and vote on the issues with the whole town in mind, and not any one individual.