Easton Election 2021 Profile: David Bindelglass

EASTON, CT — The state Municipal Election is Tuesday, Nov. 2.

Patch contacted candidates to answer questions about their campaigns.

Democrat David Bindelglass, 62, is running for Easton First Selectman in Easton.

Occupation: Orthopaedic Surgeon

Family: Wife Gloria, 53, has multiple roles in town Sons, Andrew, 26 and Scott, 23

Experience: Board of Education and Current First Selectman

Family in government: My wife is a constable, EMS commissioner and library board member for the town

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

Building a new headquarters for our most deserving emergency services workers. Work with EMS and finance to get the project sighted and designed and under way and fund with American Rescue Act money in a timely fashion

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Experience, integrity and transparency. I have shown that I will seek out opportunities to improve the town, advocate for them and present them to the town, and then let the town decide. I have communicated with the town and listened to my constituents.

Accomplishments:

First I managed the town effectively through the pandemic and a major storm. I have brought to the town and got passed ordinances for senior tax relief, stipends for our emergency service volunteers, tax relief for our disabled neighbors, and an ethics revision and the town's ability to vote on all major land transactions. Under my leadership the town finished a much delayed bridge and will finish a second bridge on time. Farmland has been preserved against future development. I negotiated contracts with all unions which were both fair and beneficial for the town and passed a budget which restored needed programs and positions for our schools and department of public works and passed by a wide margin in the town. I have brought new efficiencies to town departments and improved health and sanitation services by joining the Westport/Weston Health District as approved by the town.

Other issues:

We need to continue to spend tax dollars wisely by providing better services, like full time health services, sanitation and building inspection, cost effectively and pass responsible budgets that provide needed services. We need to look for outside funding sources which can be used to make improvements that we can agree our town needs. We need to continue to improve the services we provide our seniors, and maintain our outstanding schools.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I think that they know that I will provide as much information about the issues facing the town as I can. While some have tried to get a land use ordinance for years and only this board of selectman was able to actually get an ordinance passed. That shows my commitment to empowering the people of Easton to make decisions.