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: Shari Cantor

Party affiliation: Democrat

Family information: Married to Michael Cantor for 38 years, four sons, daughter-in-law, and a one-year-old granddaughter.

Primary occupation: Retired registered CPA

Previous political experience: West Hartford Mayor since 2016; West Hartford Deputy Mayor from 2011-2016; West Hartford Town Council member since 2004.

Other relevant experience that may be related to your desire to serve the community, and further qualifies you for the office you are seeking: Having an accounting and finance background has been very helpful. During my years of public service, I have collaborated with elected officials at all levels and positions, served on many community boards and non-profit organizations, and worked with so many remarkable people that care deeply for this community. These connections and knowledge help me solve problems and assist our residents and businesses.

Why are you running for office? West Hartford continues to be a highly ranked community because we build on our strengths while planning and preparing for the future. We are a diverse, vibrant, and welcoming community. I am committed to maintaining good governance – ethical elected leaders thoughtfully collaborating with highly professional staff who are creative and innovative in serving our constituents. I now have four generations of my family living in town, from one year old to 95 years old, and understand the challenges and opportunities for residents of all ages. I also know we cannot remain a top-ranked community without recognizing both the challenges and opportunities ahead of us and continuing to grow and improve.

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? Communities across Connecticut, like other places around the country, are facing a housing shortage. This increases housing prices and makes it harder to recruit and hire people for businesses. Housing construction prior to 2021 was extremely limited, and West Hartford is seeing a housing boom at all price levels because of this past shortage of construction and overall shortfall in housing. There is a high level of interest in both residential and commercial development in West Hartford because developers and investors recognize the strong economic climate of West Hartford, especially within walking distances to transit and highly desirable commercial districts.

What issue(s) are your primary area of focus? Economic strength and well-being and preservation of quality of life.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing West Hartford today, and how do you plan to address it if elected? The responsibility of adopting a municipal budget amidst rising costs that meets the needs of all members of our community is an ongoing challenge. We have made significant changes to pension financing and healthcare and continue to look at cost efficiencies and potential revenue growth. Road safety is a primary concern, and we are currently working on our Vision Zero plan for implementation to achieve zero fatalities and zero serious injuries by 2033. This will include tools like speed and red-light cameras, re-engineering, and education to make our roads safe for all users. And, our community is experiencing the challenges of extreme weather, especially heavy periods of rain. Preparing to be resilient is important and we have created a sustainability commission that will address these issues and others.

What do you feel differentiates you from the candidates from other parties also running for this position? The Democratic Party has led with a commitment to fiscal responsibility, long term vision, responsiveness, and compassion.

Anything else you would like to share relevant to earning votes on Nov. 7? I feel strongly that it’s my job to engage with, listen to, learn from, and respond to constituents, even when you do not agree. It is also important to have the courage and strength to do what you think is right for the whole community.

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