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FAIRFIELD, Conn. To help our readers prepare for Election Day, The Daily Fairfield sent five questions to each of the candidates on the November ballot. The following response is from Jennifer Hochberg, a Democrat running for the Representative Town Meeting in District 7.
Why should people vote for you?
As a lifelong Fairfielder, I want to give back to the town and make a difference. I bring energy, positivity and compassion to the table as well as being aware of what's going on in town and being aware of the issues affecting all Fairfield residents. What are the biggest issues facing Fairfield?
The issues that I am concerned with that affect our quality of life include infrastructure, public safety, the needs of seniors and education.
Is Fairfield going in the right direction? If you are an incumbent, what were your biggest achievements? If you are a challenger, what has your opponent done wrong while in office?
I've been on the RTM since March 2011, filling a vacancy in District 7; I've had the opportunity to examine and discuss the budgets for the town and education, capital improvement projects and various town contracts. During budget season, I had the chance to read and reply to emails from those constituents concerned with the budget. I even heard from a couple of residents in my district who were concerned about the status of the Stratfield IGA market.
What would you do to involve your constituents in your decision-making process?
I am on Facebook and Twitter, and also can be reached by email and phone. I will lend a listening ear to hear residents' concerns. I would love to see our district have a constituents meeting, whether its just us or coupled with one to two other districts such as what we had back in April, to hear from residents who had concerns with the town-side or BOE budgets. How can Fairfield avoid another Metro Center, i.e., a project that goes severely over budget? What will you do to prevent it? Be specific.
For any major project in the future, a project manager needs to be hired, which I felt should have been done for Metro Center from day one. A committee related to the project would be beneficial, and any concerns with costs, contracts and the like need to be brought forth to the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance and the RTM.
Find all of our candidates Q&As here.
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