Working as a Team to Continue Moving New Milford Forward!
Tom Esposito
Incumbent
Spouse: Maureen
Children: Olivia and Tommy
Occupation: Energy efficiency expert for commercial, residential building and new construction, and experienced financing and real estate consultant for 28 years.
Number of years as resident: 23
Education: Graduated from Canterbury School and studied marketing at Western Connecticut State University and political science at Villanova University.
Community experience: He is a four-term member of the Town Council, and is the past chairman of the ad hoc, IT Transformation Committee. Commission, and a past member of its subcommittees, having served as chairman of the Higher Education Initiative Committee, Farmland Preservation subcommittee, coining the slogan, “To Save the Farms, We need to save the Farmers,” and the Marketing Committee. He is a past member of the Plan of Conservation and Development update committee, a past member of the New Milford Film Commission, a past member of the Creative Playground Committee, a past member of the board of directors for MVP-SOS and a past council representative for the School Facilities Utilization Committee.
Three most important issues facing the town–
Efficiency and exceptional service across the town government and schools: leveraging the efficiency initiatives that have been originated and supported by the Republican-led Town Council already under way, such as online payment and program signups at Park and Rec., the upgrades to the tax assessor and tax collectors software, and year-round online tax payments. Currently, the financing departments software upgrade this year will have a great impact in efficiency in managing the town and school budgets. Continuing to improve upon the customer service initiatives we have instituted. The solution: re-establishment of an IT transformation committee and an efficiency committee. Moving to make them permanent commissions in the future under Charter revision.
Jobs and economic development. Promote our exceptional town and all its assets to attract new companies and businesses to move to New Milford in order to grow our tax base and provide jobs in town to our residents. The solution: continued support of the Economic Development supervisor, Economic Development Commission and the Economic Development Corporations efforts.
Katy Francis
Incumbent
Spouse: Mike Scofield
Occupation: United Way Community Impact Coordinator for Southern Litchfield County, prior to United Way – Business owner.
Number of years as resident: 74
Education: New Milford High School, Lycoming College, Bridgeport Engineering Institute with an associate’s degree in mechanical engineering.
Community experience: She is a member of the Town Council, having served six terms, and a member of the New Milford Public Library Trustee Board, and Modernization Committee, past President of FRIENDS of the Library, the New Milford Historical Society, the New Milford Recycling Center Subcommittee, New Milford Municipal Building Committee and Housing Partnership . She is a member of the Roger Sherman Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, a member, media chairwoman, and past president of the New Milford Rotary Club. She is location leader of the Wreaths Across America at St. Francis Xavier Church, a recipient of the 2009 Greater New Milford Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Member Award, She is a member and secretary of the New Milford Republican Town Committee, served on the Planning Commission, past chairwoman of the New Milford Tricentennial Commission, a past volunteer for Loaves & Fishes Hospitality House, a past board member of the St. Francis Xavier Women’s Guild, a past 25-year member and state board member for Connecticut Junior Women, and a 2008 recipient of the Leonardo Da Vinci Medal for commitment to community service.
Important issues facing the town
I have spent years volunteering in New Milford with organizations where political affiliation is never a factor, reaching a goal is what counts. We all want the most up-to-date and accurate information available so that we can make informed decisions. When an audience isn’t hearing your message, the solution is to find a more clear and accessible channel of communication, whatever it takes. That’s our job and I am committed to getting residents who feel “‘out of the loop” to feel invested again in what goes on in their town.
The country is moving away from the dinosaur age of strict, two-party lines of thought. Surely, we can get accurate information flowing both ways to bring residents back to being involved in the future of our town. We need to work on this until we get it right. New Milford belongs to all of us.
Economic development efforts need to ramp-up now: Using the existing strategic plan as a base, our economic director and Economic Development Commission should make it a priority to meet with neighboring towns who have had greater success attracting new business and employ an experienced marketing consultant. The vacant Route 7 corridor buildings are perfectly sited as an attractive location for manufacturing, distribution, information technology or mixed-use development.
A dialogue between downtown landlords and our Economic Development Commission should be scheduled ASAP to find common ground and begin a frank dialog on why the long-vacant buildings remain unleased. New Milford’s Green is one of the most beautiful in the country and we are the Gateway to Litchfield County. Traffic is passing us by every hour of every day, cars filled with people who need to eat and buy gas, people who want to shop and enjoy quintessential New England at its best. Tourism dollars are part of smart economic development and we need to attract those dollars to our downtown.