We-Ha.com is offering our readers the opportunity to meet the candidates running in the Nov. 7, 2023 municipal election. 

Compiled by Ronni Newton

We-Ha.com is offering our readers the opportunity to “Meet the Candidate” – designed to help them get to know the candidates running for office in the 2023 municipal election.

Identical questionnaires have been sent to all candidates, and each profile received has been submitted directly to We-Ha.com by the candidate or the candidate’s campaign management. The responses have not been edited but have been formatted to match our publication style. Questions left blank have been deleted.

As profiles are received, they will be published on We-Ha.com under the “Government” tab. We-Ha.com is not making endorsements of any political candidates but we are publishing this information in order to assist voters in being informed and prepared when they go to the polls on Nov. 7.

If you are a candidate and wish to submit a profile, please return it by email to Ronni Newton at [email protected] as soon as possible.

TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATE

Name: Alberto Cortes

Party affiliation: Republican

Family information: I have been married to Jessica for 23 years and have two boys, Adrian & Gabriel. We have lived in West Hartford for over 25 years.

Primary occupation: Real Estate agent, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties

Previous political experience: I currently serve on the West Hartford Town Council

Other relevant experience that may be related to your desire to serve the community, and further qualifies you for the office you are seeking: I currently serve as a member of the Board of Directors for West Hartford Fellowship Housing and I am also an active member of the West Hartford United Methodist Church Council. I have had the opportunity to advocate for individuals on the autism spectrum at the national level. During my career as a Corrections Officer, I had the opportunity to advocate for worker’s rights as a union steward.

Why are you running for office? I would love the opportunity to continue to serve this wonderful community we live in. I want to be able to help West Hartford be more affordable for families who live here, I want to give a voice to the residents who often get left behind and ensure that we are an inclusive community culturally and economically.

There have recently been numerous residential and commercial developments considered by the Town Council, and there are others in the pipeline. What is your overall opinion of the pace of development in West Hartford? I think West Hartford is growing at a very rapid pace and my concern is the impact this will have on services. We need to slow the growth to ensure our classrooms are not beyond capacity. The rapid growth will also impact the infrastructure throughout town due to the increased traffic that comes with development. We need to make sure it does not take a toll on public safety. We also need to be mindful of the impact it has on our neighbors and ensure that our residential neighborhoods continue to maintain the village charm.

What issue(s) are your primary area of focus? Affordability is a primary area of focus for me. We need to right-size the way we do business so that we are operating in an efficient manner. Our budget continues to grow, and our residents continue to get fewer services, we must change this trend. Some of our residents received a huge tax increase due to the dramatic increase in their property values, we owe it to those residents to be more responsible with spending.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing West Hartford today, and how do you plan to address it if elected Traffic is the biggest challenge in our community. I will continue to support our public safety officials to ensure they have the resources needed to make our roads safe. I feel with the Vision Zero initiative and real-time data we can help change the behaviors of the drivers on the road and not only reduce traffic accidents but also make it safe for the pedestrians walking in our community.

What do you feel differentiates you from the candidates from other parties also running for this position? With my military experience, career as a Corrections Officer, and involvement within our community I know how important it is to work as a team. It is not about who is the majority/minority party, it is about putting our residents first, and as a team we need to make sure all of our residents have a voice when it comes to the future of West Hartford.

Anything else you would like to share relevant to earning votes on Nov. 7? I will continue to put “ALL” the residents of West Hartford first. We have been voting the same way since 2003 and year after year it is business as usual cut services and increase spending. I will support common sense government so that we can have an affordable West Hartford. I will continue to work with our Police and Fire Departments so that we can have a safer West Hartford. I am asking for your support on November 7th so that I can continue to serve this great community.

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