Patch Candidate Profile: Mary Isaac, Trumbull Town Council

TRUMBULL, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Trumbull and there are plenty of local races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Trumbull Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Democrat Mary Isaac is a Trumbull resident running for Town Council in District 1.

Education

College graduate.

What is your occupation?

"Active volunteer"

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

Martin Isaac, elected member of the Board of Finance, 3 children who were raised in Trumbull and attended Trumbull's public schools: Jessica, Nicole and Daniel. Two spoiled dogs Hamilton and Chloe.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Martin Isaac elected member of the Trumbull Board of Finance for the past 6 years.

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

I was elected to the Town Council in 2019 and re-elected in 2021 and am seeking my 3rd term to serve on the Council.

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?

I thoroughly enjoy my position on the Town Council; I also know the issues impacting the Town in detail. For the past 4 years, I have served on the Town Council, the education sub-committee and as the vice-chairman on the finance committee.

Previously, I volunteered for over 12 years and served as a PTA president at Daniels Farm, Hillcrest Middle School, and Trumbull High School where I developed a broad knowledge of the workings of the school system and its budget.

I was also chairman of the Trumbull Senior Commission, which provided insight into the senior and social service departments and the needs of Trumbull’s senior community.

I am fully aware of the operations of the town and have a broad understanding of the needs of our youth, families, and seniors. I consistently attend and view town department and commission meetings so that I am always fully prepared to discuss all issues that come before the Council.

I have a strong work ethic, understanding of the town government and desire to keep Trumbull the desirable community we all know it to be.

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

The cost of living. Although the average tax increase in non-revaluation years has been held to 1.5% while First Selectman Tesoro has been in office, I know the cost of living is always a concern for residents. As the vice chair on the finance committee, I will continue to ensure our spending remains tightly controlled and will question the specifics of what our department heads are requesting funds for, how they will be spent, alternative options and grant funding opportunities.

We need to budget conservatively and find creative ways to offset increased spending while providing funding for our schools, paving our roads, maintaining and improving our infrastructure and keeping our beautiful parks in stellar condition.

We need to continue to entice businesses to call Trumbull their home and maintain our healthy "rainy day" fund to optimize on the benefits of our high credit rating.

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

I am very knowledgeable about town finances and how to get things done (because of all my volunteer positions in the town over the past 20 years).

While I believe all candidates that run for office should be commended for wanting to give back to their community, I have a proven track record. I have served on the Town Council and sub-committees for the past 4 years, was PTA president for 12 years at each level of the school system, and was chairperson of the senior commission.

I have a comprehensive understanding of the Town and Board of Education budgets and am prepared, committed, and ready to address any questions asked of me by our taxpayers as well as advocate for their needs. I actively monitor all aspects of town government and feel that I am fully equipped to continue to serve and represent our town residents.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

I am the incumbent serving on the Council.

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

We must continue our efforts to attract and retain police officers. We must also continue, through our 5-year capital plan and grant funding opportunities, to invest in our infrastructure needs to subsidize municipal improvements for both the town and school system, including a much-needed new senior/community center.

I will continue to reach out to residents, provide timely and informative answers to their questions, and relay their suggestions to appropriate department heads. I will continue to give 100% to always do the job that I was elected to do by my district neighbors.

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

As stated in the above responses, I bring a large amount of knowledge and understanding of town government, the budget process and the challenges and opportunities to this position. I listen, ask questions, and work well with all members of the Council, on both sides of the aisle, as well as the town and BOE departments.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I would have to say my Mother’s very simple line of “always do the right thing” is always top of mind. I believe that has been one of the reasons as to why I enjoy volunteering my time in many capacities and as a member of the Town Council. It’s the “right thing” to volunteer in multiple ways to give back to those that reside in your community. Whether that’s through serving on committees or running fundraisers or food drives, it’s important and necessary.

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

As I already said, I enjoy volunteering! This includes Trumbull Food Pantry drives at Stop & Shop, the Easter Eggstravaganza, the recent Social Services Fig Tree fundraiser and a variety of other events throughout the year.

I am a member of the annual Trumbull Restaurant Week Committee benefitting our eateries and our residents and am also a member of the Sustainable Trumbull Team. The Team has been engaging and educating residents on waste reduction and recycling programs and have removed thousands of pounds of non-typical recyclables from our municipal waste system – good for the environment while reducing town expenses.

Building a sense of community is important to me to ensure that young families have the same wonderful experiences that we had when we moved to Trumbull 31 years ago.

I believe a balance of strategic budgeting with an emphasis on community is the key to a town in which we all wish to live.

I hope to continue to serve Trumbull as one of the District 1 Town Council representatives for the next two years!