Newtown Election: Peter Schwarz, Legislative Council District 1

NEWTOWN, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in Newtown will be on the ballot.

To help readers make an informed decision on Nov. 2, Patch has reached out to local candidates to share their views on various topics of importance in town.

Patch will post these candidate profiles over the next several days, so check back often to see the latest.

Democrat Peter Schwarz, 62, is running for Newtown Legislative Council District 1 in Newtown.

Occupation: Corporate Lawyer

Family: Laura and I have five wonderful grown children between us.

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

A declining sense of community. We need to be together more and to know that being neighbors binds us together far more than small differences push us apart. I would work to build and support our community organizations through developing programs, ensuring access, and ensuring oversight. We also need to diversify our tax base to keep our rates steady ... that helps everyone.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I think many people join me in being tired of the rock throwing that has characterized our recent town politics. Town government can make a huge difference in people's lives because it's closest to them. We need to focus on our civic institutions and think of them as tools for community development and improvement.

Accomplishments:

I've spent my career negotiating projects between companies so everyone can meet their goals and come out ahead. Worrying about "winners" and "losers" leads to poorer outcomes and a poorer sense of community.

Other issues:

When people have a problem or concern, they look to their town and their community first. We need to ensure that all our neighbors view Newtown town government as an accessible, welcoming, and helpful resource. That's a reputation that you earn every day, and and we need to stay focused on that.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I want to focus on making town government work for the most people in the most efficient way. We need to spend resources to maintain our quality of life but we also have to maintain financial discipline. It's not flashy or glamorous but trying to strike a balance between different interests is what I've been successful at in business.