Tolland Candidate Profile 2019: Tammy Nuccio, Council

TOLLAND, CT — Tolland's election season is at its peak, and there are plenty of contested races with candidates eager to represent their town in November's municipal election. Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns, and has been publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Tammy Nuccio is running for Town Council as a Republican.

Occupation:

Senior Financial Analyst - 18 years, some form of accounting position 30+ years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:

Town Council - Incumbent

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

The single most pressing issue is reduction in revenue. Be it reduction in State grant money (ECS and other state grants like TAR, Stabilization, etc), or reduction in our grandlist due to crumbling foundations and stagnant growth. One of the biggest concerns we are faced with is maintaining town services while not placing additional burden on the taxpayers to keep things status quo. What I intend to do about it is being more proactive about regionalization or shared services, being a better ally to our current businesses in town to understand what may be holding them back and to find a way to encourage new growth in town, but mainly by being more persistent about the current programs and budget we have. I will continue to turn over all stones to look for savings and ask questions to be sure we're only putting programs in place that will result in documented savings and then put those savings back into the budget rather than looking for more ways to spend them. I will listen to our residents, all of them, to understand what we can do to keep Tolland a town where they can age in place and still provide the services we all desire.

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

I feel me, and my team, are different in that we are committed to all the residents of town. We are fact based and not hyper focused on meeting the needs of any one group above the others. We understand, the role of Town Council is to represent all of our constituents and pledge to continue to do just that. All facets of town government are important and all should be considered with the understanding that there is no one group more important than the whole.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Our platform is defined by transparent leadership. All questions deserve to be answered and should be answered in a way that is useful, relevant and understandable to the citizen asking. It is also defined by advocacy for our residents, be it at the local level - so all residents are considered with all of our decisions, the state level - by keeping Tolland's unique circumstances at the forefront of our elected officials agendas, or the federal level - with our plight with crumbling foundations.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I've been on the Town Council now for two years. In that time I've proven I'm an advocate for all of our residents. I've advocated for and helped develop a subcommittee on Business Relations in town, I've participated in hiring a new town manager, I've advocated for and assisted residents with issues regarding their wells, I voted for the Tax Stabilization fund creation to help offset some of the known revenue reductions we are facing, when presented with the availability of increased revenue dollars I voted to reduce the millrate for our citizens, I have continuously represented Tolland and her residents with our local elected officials in regards to ECS reduction, Birch Grove, state level taxes, tolls and crumbling foundations.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

If you've managed to have people on both "sides" mad at you, you're doing something right. We'll always find compromise in the middle where no one is 100% happy.

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

I love this town, I pledge to be educated - if I don't know the answer, I will work to get it for you and won't present it with bias or unsubstantiated facts. I pledge to be honest and open in my process and communication, to listen to your concerns and weigh our decisions with the interest of all of our residents in mind. I pledge to hold myself and other elected officials or town staff accountable to the people we serve. I pledge to do my very best for our town.