Town Council Candidate Questionnaire, Answer #2

PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO

As a service to our readers, we will be republishing the replies to our Town Council Candidate Questionnaire question by question, one each day until Election Day. This was the second query:

Southington has a nine-person Town Council that hires and works with a professional Town Manager. What should the role of a Town Councilor be in this system?

The replies - ordered by candidate last name - were as follows:

Paul Chaplinsky (R)

Our primary role is to represent the residents of Southington—their voices, their perspectives, and their priorities. We translate those viewpoints into strategies, programs, and initiatives that deliver value-added services to the community in partnership with our dedicated team of municipal employees, led by the Town Manager and department heads. Councilors also serve as a conduit between residents and government when issues arise. I take great pride in being accessible to residents and business owners, listening to both their praise and their concerns, and helping find solutions that work.

Jennifer Clock (R)

The role of a councilor is to act as a liaison between residents and government. A councilor must be able to suggest and pass balanced budgets, create ordinances and policies, and provide guidance to the town manager on high level issues. Decisions must be made responsibly by considering the resources needed and what is best for the town as a whole.

Michael DelSanto (R)

The Town Council in Southington serves as the legislative body for the town, holding several key responsibilities. One of its primary roles is to appoint the Town Manager, who oversees the day-to-day administration, budgeting, and municipal operations. This separation of duties allows the Town Council to focus on setting policy, advocating for residents, and shaping the overall vision for the community, while the Town Manager implements these policies and manages the town’s departmental staff.

In addition to appointing the Town Manager, the Town Council carries out important tasks such as adopting the annual budget, setting tax rates, enacting ordinances, and appointing boards, commissions, and a Town Attorney. This structure creates a clear and transparent chain of responsibility: the Town Manager reports directly to the Town Council, ensuring accountability to the residents of Southington.

George Doherty (D)

I have served on over a dozen company Boards of Directors during my career, and the Southington structure of a Town Manager reporting to a Town Council is very comparable to my current and previous Board experience. Effective Directors defer to the line employees and the CEO, or Town Manager in this case, but a Director also needs to know when to get involved. The most important role of a Board of Directors is to listen to all the stakeholders to drive strategy, and make sure the organization is optimized and working towards its long-term goals. I believe my extensive experience on Board of Directors will be an asset to the Town Council.

Charles E. Green, Jr. (D)

The role of a Town Councilor in this system should be one that is Team Oriented. Team oriented in the sense that it will focus on being Action Oriented, meaning having a role that makes the Town Councilor someone that helps shape policy, implement ideas and helps finish jobs. Also being Thought Oriented, meaning have a role that allows for critical analysis of ideas, plans and policy best for the Town, and People Oriented, meaning having a role that allows for teamwork, mutual coordination and resource usage that best serves the Town, The Town Council should have a vision for Southington. This vision should be for the greater good of all citizens of Southington. The Town Council should hire a Town Manager that shares and agrees with that vision and then has the skills necessary to bring that vision to light, with the help and support of the Town Council. This is the phase of the system when the Team role aspects take effect and is of the utmost importance to bring about a positive working relationship between the Town Council and Town Manager, for the overall benefit of the Town of Southington and its citizens.

Shawn Grindle (D)

The role of a Town Councilor in this system is to set the vision, policy priorities, and the standards of accountability for the citizens of Southington. It’s not a Town Councilor’s role to manage the daily operations. As a Councilor, I won’t be pressing my thumb on the purview of the town employees or the Manager. However, I will listen to residents, understand the needs of the community, and use that knowledge to plan long-term goals and policy. Leadership, direction, and oversight are pillars a Town Councilor should govern by. We should ensure that the Town Manager and their staff have the support and clarity of mission they need to work at an effective level.

Listen, ultimately, as elected officials, we represent the citizens of Southington. We should be there to navigate short-term pressures with long-term planning. We should be transparent and hold ourselves to a high standard. I can tell you this: I will focus on policy, community building, and progress, I have no interest in micromanagement.

Kristen Marie Guida (D)

In my opinion, a Town Councilor’s role is to work cohesively with others for the common good of the town—acting always in good faith. In partnership with the Town Manager, councilors provide guidance, oversight, and thoughtful decision-making grounded in transparency and collaboration. My leadership experience has taught me the value of teamwork, integrity, and listening to diverse perspectives to achieve shared goals.

Jim Morelli (R)

The Town Council is abreast of all ongoings of the town and is an advisory board for the Town Manager. We approve the annual budget and assist with decisions that have short- and long-term impacts on the overall operation of our town. We are a biweekly monitor of operational challenges throughout Southington. And we are the control mechanism for the town charter.

Tony Morrison (R)

I see the Town Manager as the CEO and the Council as the Board Of Directors. This is not an exact analogy as Police, Fire and Education are governed by other bodies, but the Council controls the finance amounts and the debt service for all, and we are the ultimate legislative authority for the Town. Our responsibilities are essentially to drive, or ensure, the key initiatives for the Town, as well as providing a forum for any resident to express their opinion on any Town issue. Councilors of the majority party, which has been Republican since 2019, are responsible for setting the overall agenda for the Town, but all individual Councilors have oversight responsibilities and a duty to highlight what they see as issues and problems.

Chris Palmieri (D)

In Southington’s Council-Manager form of government, I believe the role of a Town Councilor is to set the direction and priorities for the community. The Council should focus on policy, budget, and long-term planning, not on managing employees or daily operations. As a Councilor, my responsibility is to listen to residents, ask thoughtful questions, and make decisions based on facts, fairness, and what’s best for the town as a whole. It’s also important to maintain a respectful working relationship with the Town Manager and staff so that we can operate efficiently and collaboratively.

Joshua Serafino (R)

A Town Councilor’s job is to represent the people of Southington, set priorities for the town, and make sure taxpayer dollars are being used responsibly. The Town Manager handles the day-to-day operations, while the Council provides direction and oversight to ensure those operations align with the goals of our community. It’s important for Council members to work together and maintain a respectful, open line of communication with the Town Manager. At the end of the day, our job is to listen to residents, bring their concerns to the table, and make decisions that keep Southington strong, affordable, and thriving for generations to come.

David Zoni (D)

The role of a Councilman and the Council itself is to serve as a legislative and policy-making body. The day-to-day operations of the community are best served by a professional manager. Hiring the right manager and providing him/her with the knowledge we acquire as representatives of the people are the essential functions of the Town Council. Providing the manager and the residents with a clear vision for the future of our community and making that vision a reality, is the fundamental role.