Joseph E. Borst

Republican, District 2

Personal Info: Age 74. 10 Beechwood Drive in Sandy Hook. Retired contracts administrator. Currently serving a sixth term as a member of the Legislative Council. Serves as committee chairman for education and as a member of administration and public works committees, Newtown High School Space Needs Assessment Committee, Board of Education Business Advisory Committee, Council liaison for 5/6 School Building Projects, Newtown Forest Association, and Newtown High School Band Parents (21 years). Also a board member and former president of Newtown Housing for the Elderly and Council observer for administrators and teacher contract negotiations. Formerly served as Legislative Council committee chair for finance, member of Board of Selectmen (two terms), chairman of Public Building Committee (six years), chairman of Planning and Zoning Commission, member of Charter Revision Commission (two times), treasurer of Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity (SHOP), and justice of the peace.

What personal qualities do you have that you believe will benefit the Legislative Council? — I firmly believe in communicating with people and building consensus. Having served on numerous committees, I have a good understanding of how the town operates.

What will be the council’s biggest challenge in the next two years? — Maintaining Newtown’s planned growth, taking into consideration our ability to pay for it. We need to generate more revenues to stabilize the taxes.

Do you favor economic development at Fairfield Hills, or should the campus be used solely for municipal purposes? — The primary use of Fairfield Hills should be for municipal and recreational activities. However, we should also consider economic development of some of the facilities to help defray the costs of some of the municipal and recreational uses.

The proposed changes to the charter may fail on November 6 because of confusion and concern over the need to implement the changes in just 30 days because of a clerical error. Would you be willing to reappoint a charter revision commission next year to bring these changes before the public again a year from now so that they may be considered solely on their merits? — If the proposed changes to the charter fail on Election Day, November 6, I would be willing to reappoint a Charter Revision Commission next year, providing the same members that are currently serving are reappointed to the new commission by the council.