Patch Candidate Profile: Robert Dean, Redding Board Of Finance

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

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

Architect Robert Dean, 74, is running for re-election to the Redding Board of Finance as a Democrat. He earned his BA in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania and his master's at Columbia Unversity. His wife Mary is a librarian at Mark Twain Library.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

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

Redding Planning Commission 1993-2012, Redding Board of Finance 2017-present

Why are you seeking this office?

I believe in public service as part of a well-rounded life, and I have skills to contribute to the benefit of the town.

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

To conserve what's special about Redding while sustaining a high credit rating, excellent schools, and a manageable tax rate. I am particularly focused on improving the town's tax base by finding new sources of tax revenue in Georgetown.

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

The urgent need to sustain mutual respect in civic discourse (fortunately not a major problem in Redding so far).

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

I have a 25+ year record of public service in Redding, and have run a business for 37+ years.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

To respect everyone you meet, even if some people make that hard to do.

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

Redding is a beautiful and special place, and we need to sustain this successfully in a new century full of new challenges.