Stratford Election 2023: Kingston Running For Town Planning Commission

STRATFORD, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Stratford with plenty of races on the ballot.

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 7 and cast their ballots for seats on the Town Council, Board of Education, Planning and Zoning and more.

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

Edward Kingston is running for election to the Stratford Town Planning Commission as a Republican.

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

1st District

Education.

MBA, Computer Information Systems Indiana University

What is your occupation?

Chief Information Officer

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Margaret Kingston my wife of 40 years, two children Edward Jr and Caitlin, and 4 grandchildren, Fiona, Parker, Emma and Ella

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

2 reasons. (1) I like to help people. Of all the things that I have accomplished in my professional and personal life, it is the accomplishments that have truly helped people through a difficult time or situation that I am most proud of. (2) I want to see our town government work in a civil, professional and transparent manner.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Taxes

And the answer is increasing our tax base. The trick is to increase our tax base without sacrificing the beauty and charm of our neighborhoods. We have a number of great opportunities to do this including the Stratford Army Engine Plant, The Raymark site, etc. If this is done right, we can significantly increase our Industrial and Commercial presence so that we can lower the tax burden we place on our residents.

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

I have 30 years of leadership experience and exposure to a number of different industries including pharmaceutical, chemical, manufacturing (including Textron Lycoming), government, and eCommerce. I know how to evaluate a business problem and I know how to get things done. Every decision that I make, every vote that I cast will be in the best interest of the constituents that I serve.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I am willing to address and issues that the residents in the 1st and 2nd districts bring up. You will most likely see me knocking on your door as I make my way through your neighborhood and introduce myself. If we miss each other please feel free to reach out to me at edwardtkingston@yahoo.com

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

One of the many accomplishments in my career was the creation of the bill publishing system in the Connecticut General Assembly. Under my leadership, the Connecticut General Assembly was one of the first states in the union to publish bills and legislative documents on the Internet the minute they were public. I spent five years at our state's legislative branch, met some fabulous people and learned so much about how legislative bodies work.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I hope I can give one from each of my two heroes
1. My Dad - “Own your problems”. Don’t pawn it off on someone else. Figure out what needs to be done to fix it and get it done.
2. Colin Powell - 13 rules of leadership

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am running for this position because I want to be involved and I want to give back to my community. Nothing more. If you vote for me, I will give you the following at each and every Town Planning Meeting and every time I represent the 1st and 2nd districts of Stratford;
1. I will be there - if humanly possible, I will be there
2. I will treat everyone - colleagues, staff and petitioners with respect
3. I will always vote for what I feel is in my constituents' best interest.