Manchester Candidate Profile: Pamela Floyd-Cranford, Directors

MANCHESTER, CT — Manchester'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.

Pamela Floyd-Cranford

Age (as of Sept. 1, 2019)

57

Town of Residence

Manchester

Position Sought

Manchester Board of Directors

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

I am a loving mother of two wonderful sons, Kevin Cranford, Jr. ll, K'Ronn Cranford, and the doting Mema to Kevin lll. Kevin and K'Ronn were educated in the Manchester public school system and graduated from Manchester High School. Both have obtained masters degrees.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

N/A

Education

BA - Prairie View A&M University; MSW - University of Connecticut

Occupation

I'm a program manager and licensed clinical social worker at the Department of Children and Families, where I have been employed for over 31 years. I started as a social worker trainee at DCF and was promoted through the ranks.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Manchester Board of Directors

Campaign Website

Pamela Floyd-Cranford for Manchester

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

One of the biggest challenges facing our town is the balance between maintaining quality programs and services while keeping taxes at a minimum and balancing the budget. As I did in my first term, I will evaluate each program and continue to leverage for state and federal funding to offset the costs to us, the taxpayers.

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

I firmly believe in maintaining quality programs that are vitally important to town residents. Many taxpayer's rely on town services to assist them. These programs really do impact issues that affect an individual's quality of life. Each year we evaluate programs and services and prioritized them based on the needs of our residents. From this process I have learned that there are many people who cannot "do more with less". They need their tax dollars to be invested in programs and services that will assist them in sustaining a better quality of life.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

I firmly believe in equity and inclusion and that every voice should be heard at the decision-making table of government. I supported the continuing expansion of our beautiful parks and bike trails because these are the spaces where Manchester residents engage with each other.

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

I supported and pushed for the recent School Referendum to bring our public schools into the 21st century. I voted for a bipartisan balanced budget. I supported and voted for tax credits for our veterans. We signed an agreement with a developer for the re-development of Broad Street. We also voted for the Innovation Funds to help our thriving downtown businesses.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Be a change agent and always be prepared to do a good job.

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

I have dedicated my life to serving children and families. My passion for people pushes me to advocate for fairness to all particularly those who are marginalized and disenfranchised.
I believe in fair pay and wages and have been endorsed by three unions, AFSCME, AFT and State Building Union.