Vernon Candidate Profile 2019: Claire Janowski For Mayor

VERNON, CT — Vernon's election season is heating up, 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.

Claire Janowski

Age

69

Town of Residence:

Vernon

Position Sought:

Mayor of Vernon

Party Affiliation:

Democrat

Family

Over 40 year resident of Vernon. Two children, Eric & David, attended local Vernon Schools, graduated from Rockville High School and are both graduates from Eastern Connecticut State University. Children were heavily involved in Scouts and athletics including Little League baseball, soccer and high school varsity sports.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

BS, Trinity College, Hartford CT; AS, Manchester Community College

Occupation

Vernon State Legislator for 16 years. Legislative Aide at General Assembly for 7 years. Education Consultant with Aetna Institute for Corporation Education, 3 years. Management Consultant, Research & Development Specialist and Pension Analyst, Aetna Life & Casualty for over 10 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Vernon State Representative, 16 yrs. Vernon Town Council, 7 yrs. Vernon Human Services Commission, 5 yrs. Vernon Planning and Zoning Commission, 7 yrs.

Campaign Website

www.claireformayor.com

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 facing our town is the crumbling foundations crisis. As Mayor, I will establish a local Crumbling Foundations Unit at Town Hall to help residents through the reconstruction process. Vernon currently has the highest tax mill rate in the region at 39.63 mills and loss of revenue from reduced property values or residents walking away from their homes will only make things worse. It's vital that residents affected by the crisis have a "go to" place for guidance.

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

I have a planned approach for economic development that will attract good paying jobs and draw more people to live, work and thrive in our community. I will seek State Enterprise Zone Benefits to attract businesses to help revitalize downtown and move forward in solving the parking issue that has languished for years. I will also request a new state traffic study on Rt. 83 to assess growing problems caused by increasing curb cuts and density. I have heard from many residents about safety concerns and it's time to take another look.

I will give our town the full-attention it deserves. I will not and do not hold another elected position at the same time to compete, distract or conflict with the duties of the Mayor. My full-time focus and number one priority will be the needs of our town. The State Senate Seat the current Mayor holds in addition to the Mayor's job is very demanding covering a huge territory of 13 towns and 94,000 people and requires full attention alone. Vernon needs two voices, a Mayor and a State Senator working together, not one less voice because the same person wants to occupy both jobs.

List other issues that define your campaign platform

Will work with legislative delegation to ensure state education aid is maximized to save local tax dollars, will enhance town-wide communication efforts and strive for an open, transparent, inclusive government.

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

A record of results that includes quality of life improvements as well as millions of funding for Vernon projects. For example, saving local Dial-a-Ride, increasing state education funding, saving local bridge program and road funding, funding for Roosevelt and Talcottville Mills, Rehab of Town Council Chamber, improvements to Central & Talcott Parks and the additions to Rockville Public Library and the Vernon Historical Society Grange.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

Listen first, follow through and always be attentive to your constituency. Even if someone may not agree with you, they always appreciate that you took the time and interest to respond.

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

I love Vernon, appreciate the opportunity voters have given me to make a difference and look forward to serving.