Newtown Candidate Profile: Paradis For Zoning Appeal Alternate

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

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

Christina Paradis is running for re-election as an alternate Zoning Board of Appeals member. She works in IT at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals.

Are you running for office in Newtown? Contact Rich Scinto at rich.scinto@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Newtown Patch.

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

Long-term thinking and planning. We need to plan in terms of generations rather than the next few years. We need to build consensus so that we are all working together toward the same shared
vision. What do we want living in Newtown to be like in 50 or 100 years? The choices we make today will set us on that path.

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

Local government simply can't function without the effort of people who live here and volunteer their time to do the work that needs to be done. I have been proud to serve alongside all the other volunteers on the ZBA, and I hope to continue.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

The people who come before our board are our neighbors. It is important to always listen
respectfully and have a fair process for making decisions.

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

The most valuable skills I can offer are a mix of a technical mindset and communication skills. This combination has helped me to understand complex situations, and build consensus around a plan of action.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Try your best, and be kind.

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

Newtown has been a wonderful place to raise our family. We should do our best to plan for the
future so that younger families now, and future generations to come, can all enjoy the same quality of life here.