Election 2013: Tolland Town Council Candidates

Here is a look at the Tolland Town Council candidates. Profiles were furnished by the respective parties: 

Democrats

Rick Field

Age: 66

Family: My wife Chris and I have lived at 139 Torry Road for 30 yrs and we raised our son Andrew here as well. I am an Army veteran and a retiree, having worked at Pratt and Whitney for 42 years.

Why Run:  I believe residents should give back to their community in some way, and this is the way I have chosen.  Serving three terms on the Board of Education (one as chair and one as vice chair) and five terms on the Town Council (two as Vice Chair and one as Chair) has provided me a wealth of experience within our community.  Currently Vice Chair of a Republican majority Town Council, I was chosen due to my experience and proven bipartisan history of working with all parties.  I believe my common sense and listen-to-all approach serves the Tolland and its residents well.

Tolland Big Issue:  Giving the input and choice of Town decisions back to the residents. Taxes versus services should be a resident's decision on a Town Council proposal - that is why we have our referendum process.  Tolland government needs to stop the erosion of services, and listen to and utilize the input and desires of our neighbors in future budgets.  

Changes to how the Town Council is run:  The Council needs to work on effective relations with the other Boards and Commissions, and most importantly with the residents.  We are a representative Democracy, and to represent we must listen.  I believe that when the community sentiment on any issue is something Town leadership personally disagrees with, their vote should be with the community.  

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Steven J. Jones

Age: 23

Family:  I have lived with my parents and brother in Tolland for 17 years.

Previous political experience: Secretary, Tolland Democratic Town Committee (October 2012 - Present); Chair, Tolland Democratic Town Committee (July 2013 - Present).

Other Experience: Research Assistant for the Allegheny College Center for Political Participation from 2009-2012.

Currently a Produce Clerk at Highland Park Market of Coventry. 

I am running for Town Council because I believe Tolland is currently at a crossroads right now.  With the Technology Corridor being developed at UConn, the Technology Zone being developed in Tolland, the Tolland Village plan, and Tolland's energy audit,  we need leadership at the Council level that will work towards maximizing the affects of all these projects for the betterment of our community.  With passion towards public service, an eagerness to engage our community in discussing Tolland's future, and a commitment towards making Tolland a great community to be a part of, it would be an honor to be voted to serve as your Councilman.

By far, the issue of taxes and services are the biggest issue Tolland faces.  We need to broaden the base of revenue by encouraging leading industries to develop and settle in Tolland, and to attract families that will work in these industries to live in Tolland.  Simultaneously, we need to provide a top-quality education to these growing families and provide the most effective services possible.  We as a community can come together and work through these problems to develop a fair and honest consensus that effectively utilizes our resources.

What would you change, if anything, about how the Tolland Town Council is run?
Our Town Council needs to engage in a more active dialogue with our neighbors with a serious fact-finding plan, and encourage participation with regular policy workshops co-hosted by a Town Council and the Board of Education who work in conjunction with each other.  By presenting residents with a Town-wide survey and hosting public workshops, the Town Council can begin to understand what the priorities of our community are.  They can then draft an annual budget that is fair, honest, realistic, and that reflects those priorities.

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Jan Rubino

Age:  59

Family:  My husband and I live on Weigold Road. We raised our children, now 23 and 20, in Tolland and through the Tolland public schools.  I have resided in Tolland for 23 years.

Previous political experience: Zoning Board of Appeals, Board of Education.  Currently serve on the Town Council.

 I served in the Army Women's Corps for 7 years, and am a freelance Certified Bookkeeper and Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor, and member of the Tolland Conservation Corps.  Past Secretary and Treasurer of the Tolland Democratic Town Committee, past Treasurer of Conserving Tolland, past Treasurer of Tolland Garden Paths, served on the Board of Directors, Arts of Tolland.

I believe that every citizen has a responsibility to contribute in some way in their community.  Our community is predominantly run by volunteers and Tolland is fortunate to have a phenomenal number of citizens with the spirit of volunteerism.  One of my responsibilities on the Council is to help fill all open vacancies on Boards and Commissions.  We have successfully brought a 65 percent fill rate to just under 95 percent, an accomplishment attributed to the number of citizens in our community that want to have a voice and make a difference.  

For me, the most effective way to make change is to be a part of policy-making, and that is why I chose to run for office, both Board of Education and Town Council.  I love this community, and that motivates me to further engage its residents.  I want for the community to have a voice for the services they want provided, and to make sure that we offer responsible solutions to providing those services.

I believe that we need keep focused on the future growth in our community that relates to our Grand List.  I support and encourage the proposed Technology Zone, and the success of the plan is dependent on everyone working together. 

The Technology Zone is a very important initiative as it could provide wonderful employment opportunities for Tolland students, while also providing them opportunity to remain a part of the vibrant community they grew up in.  This also relates to ensuring Tolland Public Schools are of the highest quality and reputation, so that we can retain and recruit the talent needed to support the success of Technology Corridor.  

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Jackie Kolb

Age:  51

Family:  Married with two children, Tyler and Madison, ages 11 and 9.  Moved to Tolland 7 years ago to raise our children in a quality town environment and to experience the great public school system.

Previous political experience: None

Other Experience:  IT Project Leader for a major insurance company with extensive program development, implementation, and team building experience.  Supporter and participant in the Junior Achievement program.  Active member of Friends of Tolland Schools since moving to town. 

Why are you running for office?  To utilize my organizational and implementation skills to enable the change residents strive to experience within our community.  An example would be fostering of better communication between the Board of Education and the Town Council members, especially in the areas of budget and property management.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead (1902-1978);
Cultural Anthropologist

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Paul Krasusky

Age:  40

Family:  Born & raised in Tolland, I lived on Carriage Drive for 25yrs and have lived on Susan Drive for the past 15; my mother Eileen continues to reside on Carriage Drive.  My wife Jennifer & I have been married 15yrs, and have three active and wonderful children - Tyler (10), Jillian (8), and Mallory (8).  Jennifer was previously a tenured teacher with experience in elementary ed, special ed, and high school, which has afforded me great insight into the system / process.

Previous political experience: None - I am rather apolitical, and am not much of a proponent of the dual-party system.  I tend to view things from a sensible, logical perspective - whether an opinion or view is considered to be Democratic or Republican - and not be categorized into one 'box' or the other.

Other Experience:   Commercial Banker for the past 17yrs, managing a portfolio of business loans.  Organizer, promoter, and participant of various motorsports activities.  CT Army National Guard, Officer Training School, and ROTC leadership experiences.

Why are you running for office?  Living in Tolland my entire life, I feel I am an ambassador of sorts for the Town and take pride in its success.  As I historically attend many of the Town meetings, I felt honored being nominated to run for Town Council and am excited by the opportunity to be involved with shaping a prosperous future for Tolland.  

What in your opinion, is Tolland's biggest issue?   Tolland's biggest issue is ensuring the Town's fiscal success while maintaining its longstanding and unique character.  The Town's current philosophy appears to be to continue to shrink to excellence, which cannot and should not be sustained.  The Town cannot continue to fund budget shortfalls with program/service cuts, and no one including me in Town wants to pay more taxes.  I believe revenue sources must be grown, and that the planned Village District and Technology Corridor initiatives present good opportunities for revenue enhancement.  These efforts must be implemented however, in a manner that is consistent with, compliments, and preserves the Town's culture, feel, and atmosphere.

What would you change, if anything, about how the Town is run and/or communicates with the community?    I have been dissatisfied over the past few years listening to the communication barriers between the Board of Education and the Town Council and the apparent "us/them" mentality, and hope that becoming elected to Town Council will allow for bridging those relationships.

Republicans

Benjamin Stanford

Birthdate 01/11/1979

39 Elna Dr

Aerospace Engineer

Education - B.S. Aerospace Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 2002

Elected to Tolland Town Council in 2011 – Present

Alternate on Tolland Palling and Zoning 2009 – 2011

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Jack Scavone

Birthdate - 12/10/1952

35 Charlotte Drive

Manager – All-Phase Electric Supply Company

Education - BS Electrical Engineering from The University of Hartford

Ran a business for over 30 years with P&L responsibility – Am able to identify issues quickly and am able to make difficult decisions to address these issues (Track record of getting things done).

Served on Economic Development Commission & Planning & Zoning Commission prior to being the Chairman of the Tolland Town Council – (Know who is responsible for what & know them) 

Ran on a platform with my fellow councilmen last term & we achieved ALL goals we promised 

Opened lines of communication across political parties & boards to get results for Tolland citizens.

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William N. (Bill) Eccles

Age 43

106 Sugar Hill Rd.

Principal Electrical Engineer, Bloomy Controls, Inc.

Education - BSEE, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 1993; MSEE, University of South Carolina, 1994

Father, two sons (’98-present)

Federal Government Employee: 6 years, United States Air Force, Captain (’94-’99)

Large Corporation Employee: 14 years, Hamilton Sundstrand (’99-’13)

Small Corporation Employee: Almost one year, Bloomy Controls, Inc. (’13-present)

Small Business Owner’s Husband: 15 years, Terry M. Eccles, MD, LLC (’99-present)

Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee on Residential Growth, Tolland (’05)*

Alternate, Zoning Board of Appeals (’10-’11)

Commissioner, Planning and Zoning (’11-present)