Farmington Candidate Profile: Bruce Charette, Town Council Chair

FARMINGTON, CT — Farmington's election season is heating up, and there are plenty of contested races with candidates eager to represent their town in November's municipal election. Farmington Patch asked candidates in the town council and Board of Education races to answer questions about their campaigns, and will publish candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Current Town Council vice chair Bruce Charette, a Democrat, is running for election as Town Council Chair.

Occupation: Business Project Senior Advisor at Cigna, where I have worked for more than 30 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: I've had the privilege of serving this community as the current Town Council Vice Chair, an appointed alternate member of the Farmington Historic Commission, an elected alternate to the Farmington Town Planning and Zoning, and the Capitol Region Council.

The single most pressing issue facing our town is: spending inefficiencies, and this is what I intend to do about it. Our town currently has two carriers for their health plan: one for schools and another for officials. I want to consolidate these plans so we can get deeper discounts which will result in savings. Our infrastructure needs are costly, and I believe they should be evaluated holistically. In order to do this, I propose we have a separate Infrastructure Committee singularly charged with addressing our town's needs.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post: I genuinely believe in this community and want to help make it better for everyone. Which means I also believe in listening and asking for all perspectives. I weigh competing priorities and make balanced decisions, taking into account the needs of all residents.

List other issues that define your campaign platform: We need to establish a stable level of town services. As Town Council Chair, I will ensure all contracted services adhere to routine performance measurements, which ensures our town has the highest quality levels. The voters have shown us they don't want an overuse of town dollars. My plan is to stop irresponsible planning by finding ways where we may able to take advantage of economies of scale to make sure our town spending is cost effective. Our budgeting process needs more options, and I will make it more transparent and readily available to members of our community. Because a community supported budget should be the norm and not the goal of local government.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job: I found ways to save money in our town's budget by thorough line-by-line analysis and creating transparency. I reduced town spending by spearheading the effort to transition our town workers to an HSA insurance plan. I led the Town Council's unified adoption of a competitive design/bidding process for FHS to ensure our funds are responsibly spent. And I led a team that made our government more open and accountable by compiling a public infrastructure report that detailing our framework's current conditions and future needs.

The best advice ever shared with me was: to be who you are, authentic and always true to yourself.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions: I believe in the power of hard work. My dad was a truck driver who worked hard to feed seven kids. He taught me the importance of being fiscally responsible; to have a plan and not spend more than what you plan for. And to be prepared for a less-than-positive scenario. As an elected official, I have a responsibility to share that plan with my constituents because I - along with the rest of the people we vote into office - need to be held accountable.