Groton Candidate Profile: Patrice Granatosky For Town Council

GROTON, CT — Groton’s election season is heating up.

Groton Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Patrice Granatosky, 57, is a Democrat running for reelection to the Town Council.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you'd be representing.

Spouse, Department of Defense

Education:

BA History
MS Education/Instructional Technology

Occupation:

Teacher, 20 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:

Town Council, 2017 to present
Charter Revision Commission, 2016-2017
RTM, 1995-2015

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

Groton must balance growth with protecting our quality of life. I will continue to pursue smart growth, the redevelopment of existing business sites, while guarding our natural resources and environment. Growth without sacrificing our quality of life is imperative.

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

I see myself as a public servant—in my career choice and in my decision to serve the community. As a teacher, I have the opportunity to work with teens and help them find their way to contribute, not just in the classroom, but also in the Interact service club that I advise. As to my choice to seek elective office, I very much enjoy working to improve my hometown. There is much right here, but we are not without our challenges. My goal has always been to give back to the community and help move Groton forward.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

•Work on resilience and sustainability was allowed to lapse for far too many years. We are behind, and must pick up the pace and get to work on preparing Groton for the coming changes.
•Need to bring smart growth to town—preserving our green spaces and redeveloping our existing developed sites.
•Must continue to support our children in our schools, ensuring access to excellent education for all Groton’s kids because every child can learn.
•And I will work to maintain our fiscal responsibility, all while not jeopardizing our quality of life

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

•Rescued State funding for the Groton school building project
•Moved the Town to the State Police radio network, saving millions while improving safety for our peace officers and our citizens—a win-win situation
•Restored community policing
•Established an ethics ordinance and Ethics Commission
•Delivered budgets maintaining services and stabilizing the tax rate
I have been and will continue to be
•An advocate for smart growth
•And for the environment—I was the driving force behind the establishment of the Resilience and Sustainability task force; am also seeking safer alternative to glyphosate and pushing for solar for the new school buildings
•I asked for and delivered a policy for when schools come off line. Working with stakeholders, we now have a process in place to have quicker turnover, maintenance of the unused school property, and better communication between the BOE and Town.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

Though not spoken directly to me from Teddy Roosevelt, I find inspiration in, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

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

Progress will only result from all of us working together. From listening, finding common ground, and through hard work. I am honored to have had the opportunity to work for the people of Groton and hope I can continue in this service. Thank you.


Are you running for office in Groton? Contact Ellyn Santiago at ellyn.santiago@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Groton Patch.