Trumbull First Selectman Race 2019: Tesoro Vs. Herbst

TRUMBULL, CT — Trumbull’s main ticket race between incumbent First Selectman Vicki Tesoro and challenger Michael Herbst. Tesoro is seeking a second term as first selectman while Herbst would be following in his son’s footsteps if he is victorious.

Tesoro, a Democrat, was on the Board of Finance and Town Council prior to getting elected to the first selectman’s seat in 2017. Two years prior she narrowly lost to incumbent Tim Herbst.

Tesoro volunteer experience in other community groups including the PTSA and Trumbull Partnership Against Underage Drinking and Drugs.

During her two-year tenure the town refinanced some of its debt to save $472,000 over five years and the town maintained its AA+ bond rating, she said on her campaign website. The town also changes its policy on take-home vehicles and reduced the fleet by three non-emergency cars.

Trumbull’s mill rate increased from 33.39 mills to 34.02 mills in the past year. The Board of Education has seen a 5.6 percent increase in funding over the past two years.

She touted that several new businesses have opened or are in the process of opening in town. The former United Healthcare building is destined to become a mixed-use senior housing complex. The former Marisa’s restaurant site will become a retail and restaurant center with additional traffic control in the area. Henkel Corporation expanded its presence on Trefoil Drive.

Republican Mike Herbst started working as a substitute teacher in Trumbull in 1975 and later was hired as a full-time teacher and began to coach football. Eventually he became the high school athletic director. He is a former member of the Town Council and was a founding member of the First Selectman’s Golf Classic.

Herbst’s son Tim Herbst is a former first selectman of Trumbull. The younger Herbst decided not to run for re-election in 2017 and instead focused his efforts on the gubernatorial primary which he didn’t win. He also narrowly lost the race for state treasurer in 2014 against then longtime incumbent Denise Nappier.

The elder Herbst said he is worried about the town’s character changing with an influx of apartments with 1,000 being approved between June 2018 and January 2019, according to his campaign website. He has voiced concern that an influx of apartments could create a large burden on emergency and school services. Tesoro disputed some of his claims in an op-ed.

Herbst accused Tesoro of proposing a $2.3 million cut to public education in Trumbull and said that his familiarity with the school system would allow him to find cost efficiencies. Tesoro proposed a two percent increase for the 2019-2020 fiscal year for the Board of Education in her budget proposal and the town passed a 3.1 percent increase in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Tesoro’s budget proposal for the Board of Education was $2.3 million less than what department heads had asked for, but overall spending still increased.

Herbst also said some calls to police in town have increased in the past year including domestic violence, sex assault, assaults and drug-related crimes. He said he would give the police department the resources it needs and engage with officers to keep the town safe. The numbers came from Tesoro’s 2018-2019 budget proposal, which Tesoro noted included six months of 2018 which were under her predecessor Tim Herbst’s budget.