Shelton Election 2021 Profile: Michelle Laubin

SHELTON, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in Shelton 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 the city.

Patch will post these candidate profiles over the next couple of weeks, so check back often to see the latest.

Democrat Michelle Laubin, 50, is running for Alderman.

Occupation: Attorney

Experience: Board of Apportionment and Taxation

Family in government: No

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

Shelton is suffering from a lack of vision for how to become a great place to live and work in the 21st Century. With the same mayor in office for 30 years, we are stuck in the same way of doing things and thinking about things that we had 30 years ago. I intend to bring a fresh voice to city government, along with transparency and accountability for city government. We need a plan for revitalizing downtown with smart development, and then we need to execute that plan. We need to budget sufficient funds for education to allow the school system to regain its former excellence and become the beacon for young families looking for a place to live and raise their kids. We need to address our crumbling infrastructure proactively, and rather than waiting for things to break down and scrambling to put a band-aid on whatever is broken.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Unfortunately the majority of the incumbents on the Board of Aldermen see their role as simply following orders from the top. I have been and will continue to actively look into the issues presented, research possible solutions, and come ready to discuss and debate those issues publicly, inviting and encouraging public participation. I am open to considering proven solutions used successfully in other towns, and as well as figuring out what might work for Shelton.

Accomplishments:

I have been an attorney for 25 years, and in my private practice I represent Connecticut school districts, which makes me a strong and knowledgeable advocate for education. For the past 4 years I have been serving on the Board of Apportionment and Taxation, and I have studied the city budget and participated actively in 4 budget cycles. In that capacity, I led the Democratic delegation in reaching across the aisle to form a bipartisan coalition to modify the budget proposal submitted by the Mayor in my second year, and then actively campaigned against the ill-conceived charter revision proposal led by the Mayor that would have eliminated the Board of Apportionment and Taxation altogether. Thanks to a strong bipartisan campaign, and that proposal was soundly rejected by the voters of Shelton by a 70% to 30% margin. The voters know that we see what is wrong with Shelton and are not afraid to campaign and advocate to set it right.

Other issues:

We know that we can keep taxes low in Shelton while doing a better job managing the taxpayer dollars that we have, create a plan for smart development, revitalize downtown and solve long-standing development problems, bring City Hall into the 21st Century, provide fair funding for education, restore dignity to a police department crippled by retaliatory disciplinary actions and unnecessary litigation, settle union contracts that have forced workers to work without contracts for far too long, and and bring transparency and accountability to City government.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

Shelton is a great place, and it deserves to have a government that works by the people and for the people. We want to know what is important to you, and and we want to bring that voice to City Hall.