Name: Joe Borst (R)

Address: 10 Beechwood Dr

Age: 71

Occupation: Semi-retired. Work for Laidlaw Transit driving handicapped bus for Brookfield school system. Started at Sikorsky, then worked at Boeing and Perkin Elmer before returning to Sikorsky.

Education: BA in psychology from Middlebury College (VT), and masters in education from Western Connecticut State University.

Political Experience: 12-year Legislative Council incumbent. Public Building & Site Committee member (six years), Board of Selectmen (four years), former P&Z chairman. Currently president of the Newtown Housing for the Elderly and member of the Fairfield Hills advisory committee.

Years in Newtown: 44

What do you feel would be the best plan of development for the re-use of Fairfield Hills? Of the three developers, I’m not satisfied with any of the three proposals. I am leaning toward the town buying the property, but the environmental impact study is still the missing piece. I think we should buy the property, depending on price, and we should develop it in partnership with an outside firm. We would need an authority to manage the property – similar to what Danbury did with Richter Park. It should be non-political with its own separate budget and should be able to generate its own revenue.

How do you feel about giving tax breaks to special groups: senior citizens, volunteer emergency personnel and new businesses? I think we should provide additional tax relief for the elderly over what’s already in the circuit breakers. Means testing opens up a can of worms. As for volunteers, they are already getting landfill permits and Parks & Recreation passes. It would require a study. I would be very hesitant about giving tax incentives to new businesses.

What are Newtown’s three most pressing capital needs? How do we plan for them given the nearly $60 million worth of projects currently on the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)? 5/6 school and additional municipal space. The finance committee will have to look at how to plan for this. I defer to the finance committee to come up with recommendations. We obviously can’t do it all at once.

What skills do you have for the job that will most benefit the town of Newtown?

I have many, many years of working in local politics – Board of Selectmen, Building Committee, P&Z, space needs assessments for schools, advisory committee for FHH. The experience has given me an understanding of what our needs are and where we are going.

Why do you feel you should be reelected?

I would like to continue with the efforts we’re presently involved in. I don’t like to leave jobs undone.

Is there one aspect of Newtown’s government you would like to see changed?

No, I think since we reduced the Legislative Council from 18 to 12 members, we work more efficiently. Things are going along very well.