It’s exciting to see 10 residents vie for three town council seats this fall. Hopefully as we get to know the candidates we will get reporting by this paper and other forums that provide real substance and depth on how each candidate would make decisions for us during their tenure. Here are 10 questions I would like to hear them answer:
1) As we live in a region known for startups and venture capital, what is your “30-second elevator pitch” for this election? I.e. convince me in 30 seconds to vote for you.
2) What is your vision for Windsor’s evolution? What policies would you support to either enhance this evolution (or if you have a darker vision, inhibit this evolution)?
3) If elected, what are three things you want to be evaluated on having accomplished when you come up for reelection in 4 years? Can you define your success by saying “I have been successful and deserve reelection if I have done x, y, and z during my tenure.”
4) Though the town manages its money well, income doesn’t appear to be rising as fast as our costs, particularly with the coming increased pension payments. We have three primary forms of income: property taxes, sales taxes/business fees and hotel (transient) taxes. What policies would you support to enhance our revenues in each of these categories?
5) Our unfunded pension liabilities continue to grow even as the state is significantly raising our yearly contributions over the next 8 years. How will this impact our budget and the level of services the city provides? What policies would you support to mitigate these impacts?
6) Online retail operations continues to depress local retail spending and impacting sales tax receipts for the town. What types of businesses can succeed in Windsor and how should the town council attract them?
7) We live in an area where tourism is a significant part of our local economy. What role (type and size) should tourism play in our economy, how should it manifest itself, where should it be located?
8) Residential development projects, particularly the smaller infill projects that are the council’s stated priority take many years from first proposal to breaking ground, if they get built at all. Many that started four to eight years ago are still stuck or abandoned. This leads to higher costs (for the developer), less affordable units (to make up for these costs) and fewer projects that come to fruition. Given the housing crisis in our area and Windsor’s desirability, what is getting in the way of turning these projects into reality? Can the town (council or staff) be more proactive in helping move these projects forward? What policies would you support to accomplish this?
9) The average income in Windsor is reported to be around $86,000 while the current median sale price is around $640,000. Using standard housing affordability calculators the average Windsor income of $86,000 can afford a $360,000 house. Recent development projects in Windsor that have started or are about to start typically have few or no affordable housing in the project choosing to pay in lieu fees instead. Should we be building more/most housing in Windsor that sells well below our current median price and if so how can you as a member of the council impact this?
10) We have two areas in town with specific/vision plans: one for downtown and one for East Shiloh Road. The Shiloh plan seems woefully out of date and perhaps no longer based in reality since the termination of redevelopment agencies. It is unclear how the downtown plan will evolve as initial projects get built. What is your vision for a new updated Shiloh plan and the downtown evolution? What are the critical new anchor developments beyond what is currently approved in each of these areas that will propel this vision forward? What policies will you support as a council member to draw these developments and help them get built.
Mike Freedman has been a resident of Windsor since 2012, believes in community participation and has been an active observer of the town council since.
