Glastonbury Candidate Profile 2019: Philip Markuszka, Council

GLASTONBURY, CT — Glastonbury'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. Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns, and has been publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Philip T. Markuszka

Age (as of Sept. 1, 2019)

35

Town of Residence

Glastonbury

Position Sought

Town Council

Party Affiliation

Republican

Family

N/A

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Uncle works on political campaigns.

Education

I attended Bryant University and graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration majoring in both Finance and Management with minors in English and Legal Studies. I obtained both my Juris Doctor in 2011 and L.L.M. in Insurance in 2013 from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Occupation

Attorney 8 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I serve on the Cox Cable Advisory Council, Connecticut State-wide Video Advisory Council, and on the Commission on Aging. Formerly served on the Plainville Area Cable TV Advisory Council and Town of Farmington Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commissions.

Campaign Website

https://glastonburyrepublicans...

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

Taxes. There are many citizens who worked their entire lives and now are finding themselves unable to afford to live in town because of the cost of living. Many residents live on fixed incomes and cannot afford any further tax increase. We need to be cognizant of the fact that if individuals cannot pay their taxes, they likely are struggling to afford groceries, electricity, heat, etc. This will likely lead to necessary home improvement projects not being addressed which in turn can lead to a decrease in property values.

An article was run in the Hartford Courant on October 10, 2019 which Ms. Sanford from the Board of Finance discussed with me. The article pointed out that home sale prices in Connecticut have yet to widely recover from their peak in 2007. In Glastonbury the median home in 2007 was $380,000 and last year in 2018 it was $365,000. It was discussed that our grand list growth is misleading based on the recent re-valuations that were performed. Private housing values are declining yet taxes as a percentage of value are rising. If citizens or prospective residents can pay less in taxes in towns which people compare Glastonbury to and get services included such as trash pickup, leaf pickup, etc., we run the risk of people leaving or not moving to Glastonbury.

I believe that we need to always look at the budget and analyze areas where there may be excess spending, where there may be cheaper alternatives not necessarily worse alternatives, areas where we can be more efficient and do so with a fine tooth comb. The Board of Finance, Board of Education and Town Council need to be transparent in this process and in regular communication so that all decisions are carefully thought out and discussed. We have very educated, experienced and knowledgeable individuals serving the town so it is important that they frequently communicate so that the best decisions pertaining to the budget and taxes are arrived at.

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

My ideas for the town are progressive while acknowledging and learning from the past accomplishments of those who have served before. I feel that I have a unique perspective at this point in my life. The Glastonbury School System is one which is held in very high esteem and to many is a focal point of town pride. I do not yet have kids in the school system, however, many of my friends in town do and I one day hope to as well. Because of this I am able to appreciate the balance of different viewpoints of those who currently have kids in the school system, once had, or never did.

My educational background also allows me to understand the budget, financial position of the town and the legal parameters within which the town must operate. Since being nominated to run for Town Council I have met personally with Mr. Johnson the Town Manager to discuss his thoughts on the town, attended meetings of the Board of Education, Board of Finance and Town Council. I have educated myself about the budget. I have met and had numerous conversations over the past several months with Mr. Jared Soper the Vice Chairman of the Board of Finance. I want to thank him for his time and patience in discussing the budget, financial position of the town and tax concerns. He has been an immense help and wealth of knowledge in this area for me.

My goal is to live in Glastonbury long term so I am committed to making sure we continue to offer programs and services for people of all age groups, ethnicities, sexes, etc. As the demographic of our town changes it is imperative that we keep a constant pulse on what is needed and important to all Glastonbury residents. We must remember that those who are the most vocal do not always represent the majority viewpoint. We owe it to those who came before us to make sure that all Glastonbury resident needs, wants and voices are heard. This will only help us continue to maintain and strengthen the town going into the future.

List other issues that define your campaign platform

An issue that I will champion if I am elected to the Glastonbury Town Council is exploring ways to make South Glastonbury safer for pedestrians. Glastonbury is an active community with runners, walkers and bikers throughout the entirety of the year at all times of the day. The safety of Glastonbury residents is of the utmost importance to me. I wish to explore ways to make this possible via the possibility of having the speed limit reduced, having a cross walk and/or a median installed between High Street, Hopewell Road and Cotton Hollow Road. I have had discussions with residents of South Glastonbury who have voiced their concerns to me. South Glastonbury is a popular section of town with restaurants, businesses, etc. Almost a year ago a pedestrian was struck and killed.

There are crosswalks up and down Main Street and Hebron Avenue which have made crossing the road safer for pedestrians. However, I am also aware of other sections of roadways which are of concern to Glastonbury residents. An example of which is the crossing of Route 17 to get to Buttonball. I would like to explore the possibility of having a crosswalk installed with a pedestrian countdown signal for this particular crossing.

I would also wish to promote open and frequent communication between the various town departments, boards, commissions and citizens. I would want to make sure that there is an open dialogue where the direction of where the town is going is known, what projects are being discussed and there are no surprises at the 11th hour. I have met many citizens while campaigning who told me that they feel that if they speak up they will not be listened to or are concerned about possible negative repercussions. It’s imperative to remember that the most vocal do not necessarily represent the majority viewpoint nor may they represent the best interest of Glastonbury. We must make sure that individuals feel comfortable voicing their opinions and have an opportunity to do so.

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

I was born in Poland and immigrated to Connecticut with my parents as a young child. I attended Bryant University and graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration majoring in both Finance and Management with minors in English and Legal Studies. I obtained both my Juris Doctor in 2011 and L.L.M. in Insurance in 2013 from the University of Connecticut School of Law while attending evening classes and working full-time. I graduated with my L.L.M. in the top of my class.

The importance of education was something my parents always stressed. I am a product of the public school system and while in elementary school I spoke no English so I was placed into English Second Language classes. I have a great appreciation for the hard work and importance of educators. Nothing in life was handed to me and everything my family and I have, we worked for. Moving to a town like Glastonbury was always a dream of mine like most residents in town. Several years ago it became a reality for my fiancée and I when we purchased our first home.

I worked hard to get to where I am today and will work just as hard for the Town of Glastonbury.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Whatever you want to do, do it now because there are only so many tomorrows.

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

I moved to Glastonbury without any connections with a desire to get involved. Currently, I serve as the town representative on the Cox Cable Advisory Council, the Connecticut State-wide Video Advisory Council, and the Commission on Aging. I also serve on the Board of Directors of Kids’ Chance of Connecticut, an organization providing scholarships to children of Connecticut workers who have been seriously or fatally injured in work-related accident. I have a true passion and desire to serve. I do not have any axes to grind or pre-conceived notions. I simply want to work my hardest to make sure that Glastonbury stays the wonderful town it is while making sure we do everything we can so residents can stay in town, have the necessary resources provided to them and be able to afford to continue living here.