Donna Monteleone Randle

Erin Lane, Sandy Hook

364-9772

E-mail: ndrandle@charter.net

Website: independentpartyofnewtown.com

Family: Married for 11 years to Neil P. Randle. We are the parents of 9-year-old twins, Nicholas and Marie, who attend Sandy Hook Elementary.

Party affiliation: Independent Party of Newtown

Newtown resdency: 2 years

Education: Bachelor of science from Polytechnic Institute of New York. After graduation, I received my commission and served five years active duty in the US Army Signal Corps, including one year in Korea with the 2nd Infantry Division. During my military service, I pursued my graduate studies at University of Southern Mississippi. I finished my reserve duty with the grade of Captain.  

Occupation: During my “corporate years,” I was employed by Exxon, Witco and Unilever with a total of 13 years experience as a purchasing manager.  During that time, I was also property manager at St Stephens Church, Millburn NJ, for six years.

Question responses:

1. There are a number of important matters that require attention. Examples include lack of trust in the current administration and their appointees. Residents perceive our taxes being too high and being spent in the wrong places. Our town must return to the basics of caring for all its citizens while spending our tax dollars wisely and responsibly. In a few words, “confidence in town government” must be restored.   

2. We must create a Long-Range Plan and a road map of steps to get there that are realistic and consistent with the needs of all Newtown residents, not a select few. We must balance much needed schools repairs and recreational improvements, while also putting plans in place for our growing town to expand “without pain.” New leadership can and must facilitate much-needed “constructive dialogue” among the different organizations in town. As a member of the Board of Education, I promise to listen to residents’ thoughts and concerns, communicate within the board and with our town leadership. We cannot improve everything instantly. Communication is critical to resolving the issues. A newsletter to the residents, giving account of our accomplishments and future plans, will be first steps to gaining back residents trust and confidence.  

3.  As a purchasing manager, a wife and mother, I understand what it is to handle a budget. I will bring new ideas to our town that will give us better “purchasing power”. I have done this on a corporate level; for our parish in New Jersey and at the International School of Prague. I am not afraid to ask for help and advice. I will consult with others, perhaps from other towns, to bring innovative ideas to our community. We need to spend our money “more wisely” so it will benefit today’s residents and the future of Newtown.

4.  Many things need completing, repairing or are not even beginning to be addressed. We know our high school is in need of expansion, but our Middle School is also in need of major renovation or “re-placement.” Newtown has a newly purchased marina that has been left without development. The proposal for the new baseball field at Fairfield Hills has a large price tag – but it has no lights! There is no comprehensive plan for the town because there is no real leadership. We need a detailed Long-Range Plan that is realistic and consistent with the needs of Newtown – the Band-Aid approach of doing a little bit at a time must end. I will work, by including residents through communication and participation, to bring Newtown to a fuller potential. 

5. Newtown HS is over crowded and overdue for expansion. We have lost our Blue Ribbon Status and are now on “accreditation warning status”. Architecture plans are not enough; we must pass a referendum to build the new 9th grade wing. Our Middle School is in need of major renovation or “replacement”. Many of our elementary students have been studying in “portables” year after year. We must communicate to our residents that a “great school system means a desirable town and high property values.” Our teachers and their administrators have worked tirelessly to provide the best possible education to our children. Now it is time for us to also step up to the plate and make the right decisions. We need a long-term plan that includes realistic estimates for expected growth throughout the entire school system. 

6. FFH is like an artist’s canvas that we can paint upon. However, we should not develop it just “be-cause we can.” Its design needs to be incorporated into a long range plan, not just for current residents, but also for future residents. Commercial development relevant to town needs, in addition to recreational facilities, must be considered. Commercial development will bring more than taxes; it will also bring new business and new people who can actively contribute to the town and community. A new “middle school” should be discussed to replace the antiquated one in use. This would serve our community better than a new town hall. We have so much “raw potential” in Newtown and it is not being tapped. There are many excellent examples in Connecticut of towns with such balance. Why should Newtown be any different?

7. Accountability, Checks and Balances and Transparency of government, the pledge of the Independent Party, will go a long way to quell dissatisfaction. When was the last time we received a letter from our current leadership outlining where our tax money was going? First Selectman Robert Burke, Bethel, publishes a letter in the Penny Saver the first week of each month, outlining the status of each major project. We in Newtown deserve as much. Communication, dialogue with residents, letting people knows that you “really care”, will make a “nicer Newtown”. No one wants to be “ignored”. I will work with our Board of Education and town council to bring about a local government “of the people, for the people and by the people”. Nothing could be nicer