We-Ha.com is offering our readers the opportunity to meet the candidates running for election on Nov. 3, 2015.

Scott Slifka. Submitted photo

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 Nov. 3, 2015 municipal election.

Identical questionnaires have been sent to all major party 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 West Hartford voters in being informed and prepared when they go to the polls on Nov. 3.

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

Name: Scott Slifka

Age: 41

Party, position seeking: Democrat, Town Council

Family information: Wife, Noelle, Vice President and Counsel at Pratt & Whitney; Daughter, Betsy, 7 years-old and in 2^nd grade at Duffy School

Other occupation: Director and Corporate Counsel, LEGO Systems, Inc.

Political Experience: Mayor since 2004 and member of the Town Council since 2001

Other relevant experience: West Hartford native and graduate of Hall High School.

Why are you running for office? If you’ll pardon the cliché, to make a difference. While a student at Hall High, an elected official told me that politics was the best way to positively impact the lives of the greatest number of people. I also had the benefit of meeting and working with great West Hartford leaders of both parties. That combination inspired me to seek office initially. Now that I’ve had the honor of serving my hometown for many years, I view my role as continuing the tradition of community stewardship established by the generations of volunteer mayors and town councilors before me. And as the father of a young daughter, I’m particularly focused on leaving the community a better place than when I started my work, so that she’ll have the same great educational opportunities I was blessed to have and, perhaps, that she will also want to make West Hartford her home in the future.

What issues are your primary area of focus?

1. Affordability: While West Hartford continues to thrive, we must ensure that it remains affordable for all residents, particularly our senior citizens.
2. Education/Public Safety: Great schools and safe neighborhoods are our foundation and must be protected in the face of federal and state budget challenges.
3. Development: The past Council term witnessed a level of private investment not seen since the 1950s. We must continue to attract smart-growth investments in all parts of town, including Elmwood, Park Road and Bishop’s Corner. This momentum must be sustained as it is one of the key factors that separates us from other Connecticut communities.
4. Long-term obligations: We must continue to fully fund our pension obligations, continue to work with our unions to bring retiree benefits in line with the private sector, and continue to find innovate solutions to enhance public services while reducing the size of government – such as our recent move to “in-house” private paramedic services into the Fire Department at a savings of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

What do you feel is the biggest issue facing West Hartford today? Affordability. The constant challenge of balancing the preservation of our great public services, particularly our schools and Police Department, against our residents’ ability to manage and meet that cost.

What do you feel differentials you from other candidates also running for this position? Experience, a record of accomplishment, a combination of real-world business and governing experience and love of my hometown. As a volunteer Mayor and a dad with a child in public school, I always have one foot in the “real” world, which provides a unique and valuable perspective on government decisions. I’ve also led our community through trying times, such as Storm Alfred, the 2008 financial crisis and the Blue Back Square process.   Today, we’re seeing an unprecedented level of investment combined with a top education system that sets us apart from other Connecticut communities. I think this is a record few, if any, can match and makes me uniquely qualified to help our town face the challenges of the coming years.

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