Name: John Kortze (R)

Address: 1 Homer Clark Lane.

Age: 33

Occupation: Vice president Prudential Securities

Education: BS in applied economics and management from Cornell University.

Political Experience: Four-year Legislative Council member. Chair of council’s finance committee.

Years in Newtown: 12

What do you feel would be the best plan of development for the re-use of Fairfield Hills? I think the best development for Fairfield Hills is to create an environment that maintains its integrity and beauty, and satisfies the educational, municipal and recreational needs of the town in a cost-effective manner that also provides tax revenue for the town.

How do you feel about giving tax breaks to special groups: senior citizens, volunteer emergency personnel and new businesses? Tax breaks should be fair and equitable. They decrease revenue to the town, but it is important to accommodate the needs of the taxpayers. Seniors should get a break, but it has to be based on need. Volunteers – yes. Anything we can do to encourage our volunteers I am tremendously in support of. As far as business goes, I think it’s a double-edged sword. The positive is new businesses bring in new revenue. The negative is we would need so much to make it worthwhile. It would change the face of the town in certain areas.

What are Newtown’s three most pressing capital needs? How do we plan for them given the nearly $60 million worth of projects currently on the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)? Schools, municipal space, recreational space. We are currently looking at scenarios for all of these and have been for the last year and a half. I think we have to do something very critical. First, we need to have a clearer understanding of what the costs will be, and, secondly, we must continue to communicate with the financial director, banks and rating agencies to determine what they think about these projects and see what we can and can not afford. Once we have those answers, we can make a determination of what we can and can not do, and then figure out how to do it to make it most palatable to the taxpayers. We can’t blindly stack debt on top of existing debt.

What skills do you have for the job that will most benefit the town of Newtown? My education is in economics and finance. I work in the securities industry, so I have an in-depth, detailed knowledge of the relationship between finance and how it works for the town. I have a direct understanding of how credit ratings, financial planning and financial decisions affect the financial standing of our town.

Why do you feel you should be re-elected?

As chairman of the finance committee, we have done some groundbreaking things: provided the majority of budget requests while keeping tax increases to rate of inflation or lower; worked hard to put in the CIP for the long-term financial planning of the town; enacted resolutions for financial guidelines for the town that has afforded us a credit upgrade; adopted resolutions for upcoming councils and guidelines to follow to maintain our good standing; kept a very close financial eye on the evolution of FHH to put us in the best position to act quickly when the time comes, and worked hard to acquire parcels of land along Queen Street, the Amaral property and others to help with the space needs of the town.

Is there one aspect of Newtown’s government you would like to see changed?

I think there is always room for improvement, but I think our town works very well.