CT Patch Candidate Profile: Michael Mason For 151st State House District

GREENWICH, CT — Election Day on Nov. 3 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot.

Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing the state and town.

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Michael Mason is running for the 151st State House District, which covers Greenwich.

Candidate Name

Michael Mason

What office are you seeking?

CT State Representative for the 151st District

Your age:

63

District:

151

What city or town do you live in?

Cos Cob

Party affiliation:

Republican

Occupation:

Labor Relations

Family:

Wife Michele since 1992, Daughter Julia 1999

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? If yes, tell us who and in what job.

No

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

RTM 10 years District 8, BET 18 years, Chairman for 12 years

Why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking office because Greenwich is my home, and I care deeply about what happens to this community and to the state I have called home my entire life. I have spent decades serving Greenwich because I believe that when you see problems that affect your neighbors, your family and your community, you have a responsibility to step up and help solve them.

That sense of responsibility is what is motivating me to run for office today. I have watched the cost of living rise, state government grow, and decisions increasingly move away from the communities they affect. I don't believe the answer is to sit back and complain. I believe it is to get involved and do the work.

I served 10 years on the Representative Town Meeting and 18 years on Greenwich's Board of Estimate and Taxation, including as chairman. I know what it means to listen, ask difficult questions, balance competing priorities and make decisions involving taxpayers' money.

I want to bring that experience to Hartford. I want to be a strong voice for Greenwich, protect local decision-making, demand accountability and make sure government lives within its means.

I am running because I still believe public service matters—and because I believe it is time for me to step up and serve again.

What do you believe is the No. 1 issue facing Connecticut, and how do you plan to address it?

Families cannot simply spend more every time the bills go up. When the grocery bill, electric bill, mortgage, insurance and property taxes increase, people have to make choices. They postpone purchases, cut back and find ways to live within their means.

Government should have to do the same.

Instead of asking first how much more taxpayers can afford to pay, Hartford should be asking how much more efficiently government can operate. Before creating a new program or increasing spending, we should ask: Is it necessary? Is there a less expensive way to achieve the same result? Can we eliminate waste or duplication? And what are taxpayers getting for the additional money?

I learned to ask those questions during 18 years on Greenwich's Board of Estimate and Taxation, including as chairman. A municipal budget forces you to balance competing needs against what taxpayers can realistically afford. Hartford should apply that same discipline.

My goal will be to control the growth of government, identify savings and make spending decisions based on measurable results. I will also look for ways to reduce the costs government imposes on families and businesses without compromising essential services.

Connecticut has important responsibilities, and I am not suggesting that every program can or should be cut. But we cannot solve an affordability problem by continually making government more expensive and sending the bill to taxpayers.

I was born and raised in Greenwich, and I raised my family here. I have seen firsthand what makes this community special—and what it takes to keep it strong. As a father, I want my daughter to have the same opportunity I had: to build a life in a Connecticut where hard work can lead to a good future.

That is why I am running now. I will to bring the fiscal discipline I learned in Greenwich to Hartford and help make Connecticut a place where families can afford to stay, businesses can afford to grow and taxpayers know that their government respects every dollar they earn.

I'm ready to step up and serve again.

Energy costs have been soaring in Connecticut. What are your plans to help address this issue?

I know what it means to sit around the kitchen table and look at the bills. Like every Connecticut family, we have watched the cost of electricity, groceries, insurance and just about everything else continue to climb. People are working hard, yet their paychecks don't go as far.

That's why I will make lowering energy costs a priority in Hartford.

First, I will push to reduce the costs and mandates loaded onto electric bills, including a serious review of the Public Benefits Charge. If a charge on your electric bill is paying for something that is directly related to energy, then we should be able to clearly explain why it belongs there and what ratepayers are getting in return. But if we're using electric bills to fund programs that aren't directly related to energy, those programs should go through the regular state budget process, where they can receive the transparency, scrutiny and public debate they deserve.

I will also support keeping reliable sources of electricity, including nuclear power, available and making it easier to bring additional reliable generation and transmission online. Connecticut cannot lower electric bills by adopting policies that make electricity more expensive or less reliable.

And I will demand greater accountability from the agencies and utilities responsible for our energy system. When families are struggling with their electric bills, government should be looking for ways to take costs off those bills—not finding new ways to put them on.

I've spent more than three decades serving my community, and I've learned that when something isn't working, you don't simply accept it—you ask questions, look at the numbers and find a better way.

That's what I will do in Hartford. Connecticut families don't need another promise that relief is coming. They need someone willing to fight for lower costs and make affordability a priority in every decision.

Affordability has been a major topic across the country and here in Connecticut. How do you plan to address this issue?

I've spent more than three decades serving this community, and one thing I hear repeatedly from people I know is that Connecticut has become harder and more expensive to live in. I've seen that change in my own life, too. Raising a family, paying the bills, owning a home and helping my daughter build her own future have all made me appreciate just how quickly everyday costs can add up. Affordability isn't an abstract policy issue to me—it's something families deal with every day.

I believe making Connecticut more affordable has to go beyond the electric bill. Families are dealing with rising costs across the board—housing, property taxes, insurance, childcare, transportation and the cost of running a business.

For small businesses, affordability also means reducing unnecessary regulatory costs and making it easier to hire, invest and grow. A stronger business environment can help support jobs while expanding Connecticut's tax base without simply increasing tax rates.

I also do not support creating a state real property tax. I do not believe adding another tax on property ownership will make Connecticut more affordable. If the goal is affordability, the focus should be on reducing the tax burden on families and property owners, not creating additional taxes.

On housing, I will support policies that increase the supply of housing people can actually afford. I believe we should make it easier and less expensive to build housing, not rely on more government mandates. We should reduce unnecessary regulations and barriers that drive up construction costs, encourage private investment and allow communities to determine what fits their neighborhoods. Local officials should retain authority over density, height, scale, parking, infrastructure and location rather than having Hartford impose a one-size-fits-all approach.

My approach comes from how I've approached public service throughout my life: listen to the people affected, look carefully at the facts, ask whether government is getting value for the money it spends, and take responsibility for the decisions that follow. After more than 30 years of serving my community, I will bring that same approach to the question of affordability—because I understand personally what it means to raise a family here and want Connecticut to remain a place where the next generation can do the same.

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

The accomplishment I'm most proud of is more than three decades of showing up for my and taking responsibility when people need someone to step forward.

That commitment started early for me. I watched my two older brothers serve in the Marine Corps during Vietnam, and their example shaped my understanding of service, responsibility and putting something bigger than yourself first. One of my brothers later died from complications related to his service. That experience has stayed with me throughout my life.

I've spent more than 30 years serving Greenwich. I graduated from Greenwich High School, raised my family here, and have been involved in this community for decades. Over that time, I've learned that public service is about more than having good intentions. It means listening, understanding the details, working with people who may disagree with you and, most importantly, following through.

Those are the same qualities I will bring to Hartford. When it comes to affordability, I will ask hard questions about spending and whether taxpayers are getting value for their money. When it comes to education, I will focus on results and accountability. When it comes to housing, I will look for ways to reduce unnecessary costs while respecting local decision-making. And on every issue, I will keep the interests of Connecticut families, taxpayers and our communities at the center of the discussion.

I'm not coming to Hartford looking for a title. I'm coming with a lifetime of experience serving my community and a simple belief that if you see a problem, you step up, do the work and take responsibility for trying to solve it. That is what public service has meant to me for more than 30 years, and that is the approach I will bring to the State House

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I'd want people to know that I'm running because I care deeply about the community that has been my home all my life. I grew up here, graduated from Greenwich High School, raised my family here and have watched our town and our state change over the years.

My views are rooted in a simple belief: government should be accountable to the people who pay for it. Families have to live within their means, and I believe government should have to do the same. That means taking affordability seriously, scrutinizing spending, reducing unnecessary regulations and mandates, and asking whether a program is actually delivering the results taxpayers are paying for.

I also believe communities should have a meaningful voice in decisions that directly affect them—from housing and development to schools, infrastructure and public safety. Hartford should recognize that what works in one community may not work in another.

Most importantly, I want people to know what I will bring to the job personally. I'm a third-generation Greenwich resident. This is where I went to school, where my wife Michele and I built our life, where we raised our daughter Julia, and where I've spent more than three decades serving others.

My brothers taught me early what service and sacrifice mean. My years of community service taught me the importance of listening, showing up and following through. Those lessons are the foundation of how I will approach the State House.

I will go to Hartford as a resident, a taxpayer and a parent—not as someone looking for a political career. I will bring the concerns I hear from families and businesses with me, ask tough questions, challenge spending when it isn't justified, and remain accountable for the decisions I make.

For me, this is personal. I'm thinking about the Connecticut my daughter and the next generation will inherit. I want to leave them a state where families can afford to stay, businesses can grow, communities can maintain their character, and government remembers who it works for.