Back in September, former First Selectman Dan Rosenthal visited Newtown Senior Center and talked to residents about various boards and commissions in town. During this program, Rosenthal took time to listen and collect questions for candidates currently running in Newtown’s 2025 Municipal Election.

On Tuesday, October 28, Ned Simpson, Friends of Newtown Seniors (FONS) roundtable moderator, met with the seniors again to provide answers to some of the questions. At the beginning of the presentation, Simpson was transparent about his opinions.

“I’m a registered democrat, and I try very, very hard to be neutral when I take positions such as this, but it may creep through,” Simpson said. He thanked everyone for coming and jumped right into the presentation.

First, Simpson went over a few questions that were not necessarily for a specific candidate or board/commission. The first question was about road paving. Many seniors have raised concerns about potholes in roads and have asked First Selectman Jeff Capeci about paving during his monthly visits to the senior center.

Simpson explained a list is built within Public Works by a combination of resident input (using the Public Works Service Order Request System) and feedback from the people who plow the roads in wintertime. The list goes to the Board of Selectmen “for information,” according to Simpson, and the list gets circulated from there.

The next general question related to Planning & Zoning and whether or not realtors and spouses of realtors can sit on the commission. Simpson explained there are no state or local regulations about this and encouraged attendees to vote for candidates they feel comfortable with.

The third general question related to one- or two-acre properties having cluster housing developed on those parcels. Simpson said yes, it is possible due to Connecticut General Statute 8-30g, or the affordable housing statute.

The last question was regarding Newtown’s volunteer fire and ambulance services in town with new housing developments coming in. Simpson explained in short that new developments are looked over by police and fire services and they submit opinions to Planning & Zoning outlining the proposed impacts.

“Volunteerism is a huge problem, doesn’t matter what the community is doing growth wise. The other point is that to move the needle to need a new truck or something like that takes an awful lot of development. You know, fires are uncommon, and even if you add a hundred houses, that really increases the probability of a fire by a totally miniscule percentage,” Simpson said.

Then, Simpson got into the specific questions and answers from last month’s program.

Candidate Responses

There are 47 people on Newtown’s ballot this year. Out of 47, only 23 responded. Simpson said 16 Republicans and seven Democrats responded, and no third party candidates responded. He explained that writing length varied across candidates, which caused him to turn to ChatGPT to summarize answers from candidates. For those who wish to read the full responses, they are posted on FONS’ website, friendsofnewtownseniors.org under the “Current Initiatives, FONS Roundtable” page.

“I also found it interesting how much agreement there was, and you’ll see this. Republican, Democrat, affordability, housing, transportation, schools, and transparency — very, very consistent … problems,” Simpson said. He shared his surprise that roads, safety, and town operations were not mentioned by any candidates.

Simpson then provided some data and information regarding population, school enrollment, and when the plan of conservation and development, town charter, and Fairfield Hills Master Plan will be reviewed, as well as a very cursory overview of senior tax relief. Natalie Griffith, who was present during the meeting, said that there will be a senior tax relief presentation during December’s Commission on Aging meeting for those who want more information about it.

Simpson showed two word clouds he created for both Republicans and Democrats, but thought they were not very helpful. He then shared the AI summaries of responses.

Both parties shared similar ideas on how to make Newtown a more aging friendly community, Simpson explained.

“Notice: affordable housing, transportation, tax relief, aging-in-place. Republicans: affordability, housing, aging-in-place. So, to a large extent, the parties are not all that different, or certainly see the same problem. There are some differences in how you tackle the problem,” Simpson said.

He also pointed out that everyone highlighted the senior center as a resource, emphasizing that “everybody loves the senior center.” The crowd agreed and gave a brief round of applause, with one attendee telling Griffith she “deserves” the applause.

Simpson then went over “the Yes-No” questions, the first of which pertained to Newtown’s new Easy Transit Program and if the Board of Finance and Legislative Council will fund it going forward. James Gaston, Derek Pisani, Steve Stolfi, Donna Rahtelli, and John Zachos all said yes. A few more fell into the “qualified yes” category, meaning they will work to secure funding “if it is being used.” Those qualified “yes” answerers were Jim Landy, John Fletcher, Chris Gardner, Jordana Bloom, Arnie Berman, and Michelle Embree Ku. Brian Leonardi, Jennifer Nicoletti, and Amybeth Laroche fell into the “other” category, meaning they said more than a simple “yes” or “no.”

The next “yes/no” question collected opinions from Legislative Council candidates on whether or not early voting is “safe and fair.” Those in the “yes” column include Gardner, Leonardi, Pisani, Stolfi, Bloom, Rahtelli, Matt Mihalcik, Berman, and Ku. The “qualified yes” answerers were Nicoletti and Zachos, and these are people who said “I know the clerk or I know the registrar,” according to Simpson.

Simpson posed the “yes/no” question to Planning & Zoning and Legislative Council about whether or not Fairfield Hills should be used as residential, commercial, or mixed use. The candidates who answered “yes to all” include Peter Schwarz, Roy Meadows, Gardner, Pisani, and Ku. Rahtelli and Berman said “no” to residential use. The “qualified yes” candidates were Leonardi, Bloom, and Mihalcik, who believed there should be limitations on residential use. Nicoletti was in the other category.

The last “yes/no” question was about automated traffic enforcement cameras, which was asked of Legislative Council and Police Commission candidates. No Police Commission candidates responded to Simpson’s questions. The candidates who are in favor include Pisani, Rahtelli, Mihalcik, and Berman. Leonardi was against it. Zachos was a “qualified yes,” and Gardner, Nicoletti, and Ku fell into the “other” category.

Gaston and John Fletcher, two democratic Board of Finance candidates, answered the question regarding Newtown population and school enrollment falling while taxes keep increasing. Gaston’s answer said, “Budgets are not lineal. For example, declining students doesn’t mean necessarily less teachers in class, less custodians, less principals, etc.”

Fletcher suggested doing a few things, such as “scrub” the 300+ pages of budget detail, finding areas where departments can “economize,” and bringing commercial investment to town, “including at Fairfield Hills.”

Landy and Laroche, two Republican candidates for Board of Finance, answered the same question. Landy said to “match staffing to actual section counts,” and Laroche said Newtown “need[s] to return to fiscal discipline.” Laroche also said that there is too much pressure on parents “to donate supplies, field trip funds, and money for basic classroom needs when our tax dollars should be covering those essentials.”

Simpson asked Legislative Council candidates what changes they would like to see made to the town charter. Gardner, Leonardi, Pisani, Rahtelli, and Zachos all said “nothing specific.” Ku wants more transparency requirements, the addition of a town manager, to combine Board of Finance with Legislative Council, and to clarify property disposition. Berman shared he would like to see an appointed Town Clerk, tighten Board of Ethics procedures, and expand public notices publications. Mihalcik said he would like to see Board of Finance have a role in looking at the town’s future needs.

Stolfi said he would like to see “less duplication,” better access to information, timing requirements for publishing meeting notes, which Simpson pointed out are already in the town charter, and “modern expectations.” Bloom said there are “numerous items to be considered,” and the town charter “will require a lot of thought and research.” Nicoletti wants to see more growth management, limit high density development, and preserve open space and agricultural land.

Simpson asked Planning & Zoning candidates how they plan to make more housing that people can afford. Schwarz answered that it is “hard to move the needle” as Newtown does not have an extensive sewer network or public transportation services. Schwarz suggested smaller, more dense neighborhoods with septic systems and said to “stop being reactive to the next developer with a project dressed up as ‘affordable’ (8-30g).”

Meadows said voters should participate in meetings. He wants to maintain Newtown’s New England character and urged voters to “stay abreast and provide input on housing legislation proposed by the state government.”

Someone from the crowd asked if there was a way to create a list of properties in town that would be suitable for 8-30g, and Simpson said “absolutely.” He explained Nunnawauk could build a lot more units and the price point is “well below … 8-30g” prices. He also mentioned that the town has acquired a lot of properties due to owners not paying their taxes.

At the end of the program, Simpson noted that Paul Lundquist did not respond to any questions. He also urged attendees to go across the street and vote, as early voting was being conducted across the street at Newtown Municipal Center.

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Reporter Sam Cross can be reached at sam@thebee.com.