Middletown Candidate Profile: Sebastian Giuliano For Mayor

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Middletown and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Middletown Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Sebastian N. Giuliano, 67, is running for mayor as a Republican.

Are you running for office in Middletown? Contact Vinnie Salzo at vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Middletown Patch.

See also: Middletown Mayoral 2019 Election Profile: Giuliano Vs. Florsheim

Family:

Married to Paula since 1980. Children: Nicholas, 36; Paul, 30, Francesca, 29. Grandchildren: Leo, 3, Sebastian, 2

Education:

Xavier High School; USMA at West Point, Boston College (AB, 1975), The Catholic University of America (JD, 1978)

Occupation:

Attorney since 1978, Mayor of Middletown 2005-2011

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:

Mayor of Middletown 2005-2011; Councilman 2013-present

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

There is no "single" issue; there are many and they all require attention and action.

The city's Grand List hasn't grown significantly in recent years and certainly hasn't kept pace with the growth in spending. That will require a plan for economic development, including areas adjacent to the riverfront, and the streamlining of the application/approval process. It will also require a re-purposing of many of the downtown buildings to encourage more residential uses which, in turn, will support a more diverse and vibrant retail component for the area which is, at present, dominated by restaurants.

The city's bonded debt has doubled in the past 8 years and there are significant capital projects on the horizon, not the least of which is the new Woodrow Wilson Middle School, which will be financed with more debt. Careful timing of debt acquisition and debt retirement will be necessary to avoid tax increases just to service it.

Middletown is somewhat unique in that the personnel working in the school system, other than those whose jobs require a state Department of Education certificate, are City (not Board of Education) employees. That relationship and definition of duties and responsibilities should be defined in a formal agreement between the City and the School District. I would quickly open negotiations with the School Superintendent to produce that agreement.

As previously stated, Middletown enjoys 8+ miles of riverfront. The merger of the city's wastewater treatment operation into the Mattabasset District will allow us to decommission our own treatment plant, which has hampered all plans to make full use of the riverfront. The adoption of a Master Plan for the riverfront and an "overlay zone" for the adjacent areas is a priority to ensure that the highest, best and most advantageous uses may be made of that resource.

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

I am the son of lifelong Middletown residents and a lifelong resident myself. I have also raised my own family here. This place has been my home and always will be. I practiced law here for 27 years, participated in countless civic activities and organizations and I continue to do so. I spent six years as Mayor and six years as a Councilman. I have done the job already.

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

I did it for 6 years. During that time, I doubled the city's cash reserves and reduced its debt to half of what it now is. Because of those things, the city received progressively higher bond ratings and now we enjoy the highest that can be awarded.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

"You'll be surprised how much you can accomplish when you don't care who gets the credit."

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

My positions and decisions come from a place of principle. I learned that every decision will please some people and displease others. Doing the job correctly means that I will make some enemies but doing it incorrectly means that I will make even more - and they will be right. It is easy to do when the right thing is also the popular thing; what counts is doing what's right when it isn't popular.

Campaign website:

giuliano2019.com