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: Ben Wenograd

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family information: Married to Shannon Wegele, father of Sasha Wenograd

Primary occupation: Union Representative for AFT Connecticut

Previous political experience: I have served on Town Council since 2015

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 have been an activist and trade unionist for most of my life, an advocate for working people and the disadvantaged. I bring that ethos to my work on Council. I also serve on the West Hartford Fellowship Housing board, working to expand the availability of affordable housing options for our seniors.

Why are you running for office? A life-long activist with the League of Women Voters, my mom instilled in me the importance of democracy and the power citizens have when they organize for change. These values inspire me to continue to serve.

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 know that a lot has been happening recently, but this follows a period since Blue Back of very little growth. We saw only a 1% population growth between 2010 and 2020, for example. Reasonable growth is essential for maintaining those services and economic diversity that make us such a desirable community.

What issue(s) are your primary area of focus? Infrastructure, including storm water and safer streets, maintained and increased affordability of housing, environmental protection, including meeting carbon zero goals.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing West Hartford today, and how do you plan to address it if elected? We are an incredibly desirable place to live, enjoying a level of services, a school system, and a level of economic diversity that is truly unique in Connecticut. Our challenge will be to maintain these elements while not pricing out all but the wealthy. This will involve careful and innovative budgeting (such as our very successful sale of pension obligation bonds), direct support for affordable housing, reducing obstacles to smart growth, and funding those services, like our schools and libraries, parks and social services, and public safety, which serve all of our residents.

What do you feel differentiates you from the candidates from other parties also running for this position? As a professional union negotiator, I bring a deep knowledge of employee relations, a skepticism of experts and an appreciation for the wisdom of informed community members. I know how to bring people together in a common cause and to help disparate parties reach consensus. While I come to the table with expansive progressive goals, I am a pragmatist who knows how to get things done.

Anything else you would like to share relevant to earning votes on Nov. 7? It’s been my great honor to serve on the Town Council of this wonderful town. I encourage voters to reach out to me if there’s anything they’d like to discuss in more detail.

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