We-Ha.com is offering our readers the opportunity to meet the candidates running in the Nov. 4, 2025 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 2025 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 noted.

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. 4.

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: Deb Polun

Party affiliation:  Democrat

Family information: I am married to Ian, a school principal, and we have two children – Jordan (age 27, married to Abbey Senft) and Megan (age 24). My parents also live in town.

Primary occupation: I am the Chief Strategy Officer at the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut.

Previous political experience: Five years on the West Hartford Board of Education (2017-2022) and three years on the Town Council (2022-present).

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 a long record of volunteering in our community, through our schools, my synagogue, the Jewish Community Relations Council, and the West Hartford Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities.

On Town Council, I currently am chair of the Human & Community Services Committee and vice-chair of the Finance & Administration Committee.

Why are you running for office? I love West Hartford and believe strongly in community service. We have many important decisions to make together – including about development, town services, and our budget – and I want to continue to bring my experience, collaborative spirit, hard work, and pragmatism to my role on Town Council.

There have recently been numerous residential and commercial developments approved by the Town Council, and it is likely that more will be considered during the upcoming Council term. What is your overall opinion of the pace of development in West Hartford? I support a balanced approach to development that includes improving on existing, underused properties, as well as protecting and enhancing our natural spaces.

The lack of housing is the top issue cited by residents who want to stay in town, as well as people who want to move to town.

On Town Council, I have been proud to support a variety of developments that will bring new homes to town, including condominiums, apartments, townhomes, and assisted living. Many of the units I have supported are affordable, and I am gratified that most of our neighbors have supported these projects as well. For people with children, these homes will provide access to our excellent school system, potentially changing their future – and ours!

I support our existing businesses, and I have enjoyed seeing new restaurants, stores, and services come to town. New commercial developments should be good partners with our residents and existing businesses.

I am proud that, over the past few years, we also have protected and enhanced our natural spaces, such as the Trout Brook Trail, Spicebush Swamp, and pollinator habitats. We have improved our parks, pools, playgrounds, and playing fields.

For every proposal that comes before the Town Council, I ask questions about the capacity of our town infrastructure, public safety departments, and schools to ensure that they can handle additional residents, visitors, and employees.

If re-elected, I will continue to utilize this thoughtful approach to any proposals that are before us.

What are your specific ideas for keeping future budget increases to a minimum? Decisions we make at the Town Council table have real impact on people’s day-to-day lives. We must carefully balance our desire to maintain/implement robust programs and services with the fiscal reality that virtually all of our revenue comes from our residents in the form of property taxes.

On the spending side:

• I review the proposed budget line-by-line and ask questions about our programs: who they serve, why they are important, and whether we could provide them more efficiently.

On the revenue side:

• We must reduce our reliance on property taxes by bringing in other types of revenue. New revenue has come in the form of cannabis taxes. We will be installing traffic cameras, which will generate revenue from both residents and out-of-town guests who choose to ignore red lights and speed limits. (And these cameras hopefully will lead to safer driving in town!)
• I also support keeping more revenue right here in West Hartford, instead of sending it to the State. The 1% tax on meals should remain in town – as originally designed – to help offset the costs of being a destination dining district.

How do you think the town will need to/be able to respond to cuts in federal aid to education, Medicaid, and food assistance? Although our town does not run most of the programs impacted by these cuts, we must recognize that these federal changes will hurt our neighbors, family, and friends.

We will need to stay informed about upcoming cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, energy assistance, and education. Our Social Services Department will have information and referrals to community programs available for residents, to help address their needs. Our Town Council and Board of Education will need to monitor carefully the grants we receive from the federal and state governments.

We will do what we can to help West Hartford residents – but ultimately, the town and local nonprofit providers will not be able to fill in all of the gaps. It is not clear that the State will be able to assist all of the impacted residents either. We will continue to stay in communication with our federal delegation to ask for their support in overturning these harmful policies coming our way.

Do national issues affect your approach to local governance, and if so, how? Yes. What’s unfolding federally has strengthened my determination to make a real difference for people in West Hartford.

I oppose the changes that are being implemented on the national level, which make life more difficult for older adults, children, people with disabilities, veterans, low-income people, and minorities. Many people I know feel helpless and hopeless about the future.

But we can have great influence on the local level, impacting housing, property taxes, town services, our schools, our places and spaces, and more.

I approach issues with curiosity and a desire to learn from others, including those with different perspectives. Good ideas can come from a lot of different places! I have a record of working across the aisle to implement solutions that are fiscally responsible, practical, and make a positive difference in people’s lives.

I will always lead with integrity and transparency, and I take seriously the opportunity to make West Hartford a welcoming place for all people.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing West Hartford today, and how do you plan to address it if elected It’s difficult to pinpoint a single “biggest challenge.” As leaders, we must recognize that most issues are interconnected.

For example, our property tax rate is influenced by the grand list, which in turn reflects how our town is developed. Development decisions are connected with how we design our roads, including choices about road diets, bike lanes, and parking. These design elements affect the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, while also influencing maintenance costs and, ultimately, our budget.

On Town Council, we can’t make decisions in isolation. Instead, we must approach our work strategically, understanding how each piece fits into the larger puzzle. This holistic perspective is essential to positioning West Hartford for success today and into the future.

What do you feel differentiates you from the candidates from other parties – or your own party – who are also running for this position? I have worked in the field of public policy for 27 years, and I am passionate about helping people, and our town, achieve and succeed. I bring a practical approach to addressing challenges, that includes input from residents and others, as well as researching what works well elsewhere.

Anything else you would like to share relevant to earning votes on Nov. 4? I truly enjoy working with you and on your behalf as a member of the Town Council. I will always listen, and then seek to implement practical solutions to make West Hartford a better community for all of us. You can learn more about my positions and reach out to me at www.debforwesthartford.com. I would appreciate your support!

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.