Town Councilman J.P. Sredzinski Seeks Another Term

Name: J.P. Sredzinski

Age: 33

Occupation: 9-1-1 Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor, Town of Stratford

Political Party: Republican

Running For: Town Council

Why are you running?

I am running for re-election to Town Council to continue the progress we have made in recent years by going through some of our outdated ordinances to ensure we are compliant in 2014 and moving forward. We also need to continue the progress in maintaining our infrastructure, such as paving our roads.

However, we also need to be aware of keeping spending down to reasonable and necessary levels. Being elected as your local legislator is something I take very seriously, having missed only one regular meeting due to a serious work matter.  Serving you on Town Council means more than just two meetings a month — it means research, homework, following up, talking to constituents and taking the time to do the job right. 

What are the three biggest issues facing Monroe?

(1) Preventing irresponsible increases in our property tax rate – increases in property taxes affect residents and businesses alike and must be curtailed to only necessary expenses.

(2) Ensuring responsible and appropriate economic development – Monroe needs to continue to work toward being a business-friendly community.

(3) Keeping our focus on maintaining and improving our infrastructure such as roads and schools.

What can the Town Council do to keep the town in the right direction?

This was my favorite question because of the way it was worded — "What can we do to keep the town in the right direction"? This means we are already headed in the right direction and want to keep that progress going, which is a sentiment I agree with. 

Since 2009, there has been a new focus on the Town’s infrastructure — roads, buildings, roofs, vehicles, etc. Maintaining what we have now will save us from having to replace these items at a higher cost down the line at a much higher cost to taxpayers.

Further, supporting our volunteers is essential to a healthy community. We are blessed to have so many volunteers in our town; from volunteer firefighters to EMS responders to food pantry staff and so many more. Making sure they have the resources to do their jobs is important and this is something we have done at the Council level and will continue to do.

What skills and attributes make you a good fit for Town Council?

As the Chairman of the Legislative & Administrative Committee for the last four years, it is very important to pay attention to every detail.  This means reading and re-reading contracts, ordinances and other matters that come before us as a committee.

Often there are small details that can affect the Town of Monroe significantly that need to be addressed prior to a decision being made.  Another attribute I feel strongly about is keeping the taxpayers in mind when making any decision as a Councilman.

On every vote I make, I ask myself “How will this decision affect the taxpayer?”  This is an important question to ask because it takes into consideration the financial aspect of any vote.

Further, I am proud to admit that I am a hard working and dedicated volunteer for our Town. I make sure I do my research and my homework to ensure the best is being done for our citizens and for our future.