Vernon Election 2023: Laura Bush, Town Council

VERNON, CT — Laura Bush is running for a Vernon Town Council seat in the 2023 election.

Name

Laura B Bush

How old will you be as of Election Day?

I will be 62 on Election Day.

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

What city or town do you live in?

Vernon/Rockville

What office are you seeking?

Vernon Town Council

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

Please give us your party affiliation.

Republican

Education.

I hold a Masters of Education from Eastern Connecticut State University as well as a Bachelor's in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University.

What is your occupation?

I am a retired kindergarten through 2nd grade teacher in Andover CT. I taught for 21 years in Andover as well as 5 years in Palm Beach County Schools in Florida.

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

Our family has lived in Vernon for 23 years. My husband Tom has retired from Pratt and Whitney after 38 years. We have 3 sons. Jonathan, 39, serves as a West Hartford Fire Fighter/Paramedic. He also is has been a Vernon volunteer fire fighter for 23 years. Matthew, 37, works as a Quality Assurance Tester for a game development company. Travis, 33, works in IT developing Apps. They all attended school in Vernon and we are very proud of them.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

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

Yes, I have served on the Vernon Town Council for 8 years from 2015 to the present. I also served on the Vernon Board of Education for 6 years from 2009 to 2015.

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 am seeking re-election to the Vernon Town Council to continue the progress we have made while serving on the council. I am proud of our republican team and our accomplishments over the years. We have improved the quality of life of our residents by adding parks and sports fields through out the town. The school system has had 2 schools recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools and our student test scores continue to rise. We have made improvements to our infrastructure with new bridges, road and sidewalks through out the town. We have full time EMTs and new ambulances to meet our community's needs. The Vernon Police Department is fully funded. I want to also continue Vernon's economic development. We have accomplished all this without raising your taxes.

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

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the rising cost of housing, food and services in our nation. What I can do locally in our community is continue to focus on not increasing taxes and continue providing a high level of services to our residents. This can be accomplished by working together to find creative ways to get things done. We look for State of Connecticut money and grants to help fund projects. We will continue to look for funding sources that will not tax our residents.

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

I think that as an experienced Town Council member, I go out into the community and listen to our residents. I am able to focus on their needs and provide the high level of services they expect from our town.

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

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

I want to make sure we bring our ongoing projects to completion. We have worked hard to have a plan for the new pool at Henry Park. When the state is finished with their part, I look forward to the pools completion. Citizen's Block is coming along nicely and I also can't wait to have many of our town departments in one area. There are many more projects I look forward to finishing in Vernon.

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

Over the years that I have served Vernon, I have approved renewal of our mills in Rockville area of the town, helped make the town an attractive place for new businesses to make their home here, brought new recreation areas to the town like Gene Pitney Park, helped with the new fields, approved The Miracle Field, helped with planning of the Saxony Dog Park, and approved the new Henry Park pool. I am proud of the work we have done to bring full time EMTs to our first responding team as well as rewarding our firefighters for their hard work in our community. I am a proud and constant supporter for the needs of our police department. I have consistently worked to move Vernon forward!

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My late mother Theresa who always encouraged me, told me that hard work and learning how to do things correctly will lead you to success.

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

Back in 1999 my family chose to live in Vernon. We loved the diverse community. We loved the parks and trails all over the town. I have served on the Town Council and Board of Education to preserve this amazing place.