On October 10, Republican First Selectman candidate Jeff Capeci came to The Newtown Bee to participate in a round table discussion with editors and reporters. Responses to questions posed by each staff member that day, along with personal details provided in writing before the visit, are provided for consideration by Newtown voters ahead of the November 7 local elections.

Party affiliation: Republican

Family information: Wife Tanya; son, Bradley; daughter, Greta; Dior, 6-year-old black cat; LuLu, Transylvanian hound mix, both rescues.

How long have you lived in Newtown: 26 years.

Educational information: MSCS New York University Tandon School of Engineering.

Occupation and Employer: Engineer, Business Analyst ASML, Inc; Chairman, Newtown Legislative Council.

How will your body of work, volunteer, and political experience best serve the community?

Capeci said he has “always been a problem solver” as an engineer. He also says he had a “love of public service” and has been serving on town boards and commissions “almost as long” as he’s lived in Newtown.

First serving on the Legislative Council in 2005, Capeci spent two terms as a member and three as chairman. He has also served on Charter Revision Commission twice, and served as a minority member of the Board of Selectmen under Dan Rosenthal prior to his current term on the council.

As minority member, he said the board was “not partisan at all” and commended the job Rosenthal has been doing, and how well he worked with his selectmen colleagues.

In his time on the council, Capeci recalled working on “tumultuous budgets,” including one year where the town started a new fiscal year without an approved budget. He then served on the charter panel that recommended separating the town and school budgets, and adding advisory questions to the ballot asking whether a voter wanted the budget to be lower or higher.

“The budget hasn’t failed since that charter change,” said Capeci.

As a member of the council and a selectman, Capeci said he has developed relationships with all the town’s directors and said he has a “good rapport” with them.

Professionally, Capeci has been managing teams for 20 years, with as many as 20 people working under him.

How will you — in your capacity to do so — manage or advise on mounting issues at town-owned school facilities, including but not limited to air quality issues at Newtown Middle School and Middle Gate School?

Capeci said Newtown Middle School “probably needs a lot of work” and that “air quality there will become an issue in the next year or two.”

“I don’t want to spend $25 to $30 million on that building if that building is going to require more work,” said Capeci.

He said that while the last several administrations had done a good job managing the buildings, if it is possible to build a new school for the same cost as fixing the current building, he would consider that. But he would like to look at “multiple options.”

What is your opinion on the advisory committee’s recommendations regarding Newtown employing a Town Administrator — and how do you plan to move forward addressing their recommendations?

While he thanked the advisory committee for its work, Capeci said he was unlikely to prioritize taking up the recommendation in his first 100 days as first selectman. He said he would talk with the committee and some of the people its members consulted with before making his own decision on what to do.

“I’ll apply my own experiences to the decision,” said Capeci. “I’ll take it seriously and consider that. I’ve talked with Dan Rosenthal a lot about it, and he’s shared stories that make it make a lot of sense. The town is bigger than when the charter was written, but the government has stayed the same size.”

Share how you will balance the need for commercial tax base growth and additional workforce level housing against the wishes of residents who would like to see little or no further commercial development and/or no significant expansion of affordable housing opportunities?

Capeci said the town needs to diversify its tax base as it grows, but it also needs housing to complement that growth or it is “limiting opportunities.”

For instance, with a property in Hawleyville that was previously considered for a distribution center and for a large residential development, Capeci said that there are “two competing interests.”

The first is to increase the grand list through commercial development, which will offset the property tax burden on residents; while the second is neighboring property owners who don’t want the development in their backyard along with the accompanying headaches.

Capeci felt that ideally a solution should be sought that would serve as a “medium where both sides can agree.”

Capeci also spoke about what might be done with a parcel at 6 Commerce Road that was conveyed to the town for commercial development. Attracting a buyer or developer for that property was complicated when part of it was conveyed to the Catherine Violet Hubbard Foundation as a nature preserve, and sparked some controversy after a recent housing project was floated.

Capeci said the property was given to the town when he was “new to the council,” but the town hadn’t found a “use for it until recently, after Hubbard came in.”

“I hope they come to some settlement that is sensitive to the environmental concerns as well as the commercial interests,” said Capeci.

What are a couple of other issues you have been hearing from residents about — and/or that concern you — that you want to begin addressing immediately upon taking office?

Capeci said the three things he has been hearing about from residents are addressing traffic congestion, keeping taxes low, and educational standards high.

“Those are the things we are going to be trying to find solutions to,” said Capeci.

Capeci noted that Newtown already has high student outcomes while having low per pupil spending.

As to traffic, he said much of the congestion comes from Interstate 84 and Route 25, and that he would work with State Senator Tony Hwang and State Representative Mitch Bolinsky on possible solutions. He will also work with the Police Commission, possibly using the First Selectman’s position as an ex-officio member of all town boards and commissions, to see what efforts they have done and what can be done in the future, by working “as an advocate.”

Regarding taxes, he hopes to learn from Rosenthal, who has delivered flat or small tax increases in each budget over which he has presided. When Capeci came on the council 20 years ago, he was committed to cutting taxes, but he quickly learned it can be difficult to lower taxes without cutting necessary services.

“I’ve learned a lot over the years,” said Capeci. “I’ll do my best to minimize tax increases, but with costs increasing the way they are, it’s difficult to cut. Commercial development and broadening the tax base is important. By having taxes paid by more people, everyone pays less. That’s what I want to try to do.”

Capeci said he has also heard a lot from residents wanting more field time for their sports, especially this year with the frequent rainy weekends. Capeci wants to look into what can be done, to look into what criteria are used for field closures, and make sure there are alternatives.

When asked about recent criticisms of opposition to diversity initiatives often directed at the Republican Party, Capeci replied such remarks didn’t reflect his thinking, nor did it reflect the philosophy of the Newtown Republican Party.

He added that he would always hire based on a candidate’s abilities to perform the duties and not any other factor, and while there was an issue with the Republican Party in the spring over books, he would make sure to show respect to all Newtown citizens.

As submitted in his written profile before the live meeting, Capeci responded to these three additional questions:

1. What is the most critical issue facing Newtown today?

Affordability. Newtown is a wonderful community that is enriched by the people of all ages and demographics who call it home. Locally we must strive to balance our needs and wants and demand fiscal responsibility in Hartford to keep Newtown affordable to families, seniors, and our youth. We need to broaden the tax base by attracting commercial/industrial development consistent with Newtown’s character. I would like to remain in Newtown after I retire, and I also want my children to have the opportunity to raise families here too if they choose to do so.

2. What is the single most valuable skill or talent you can offer to the community?

I can work with people with different ideas and perspectives, I can listen to them, find common ground, and inspire them to work toward shared interests.

If elected, how will you apply that talent or skill to best address the critical issue you identified in Question 1?

I will bring people together and inspire them to work toward a common vision for Newtown. I will lead to keep Newtown a wonderful place to live and raise a family. I will work to ensure Newtown continues to offer services to residents of all walks of life; one where our youth will plant roots, families are attracted to our excellent schools and empty nesters can find activities that keep them an important part of the community.