New Canaan Candidates 2011
Kathleen Corbet
Town Treasurer
Website: http://www.corbetfornctreasurer.com/
Bio: With over 25 years of professional experience in investments, technology, financial management and governance of pension funds and endowments, Kathleen Corbet has served the Town of New Canaan in many facets of finance, budgeting and the implementation of best practices.
She grew up in Waterbury, where she attended the public schools, graduating as valedictorian of Wilby High School in 1978. She went on to Boston College, then to the Stern School of Business at NYU, earning her MBA in 1989. Kathleen is the Founder & Principal of Cross Ridge Capital, LLC, a private venture capital firm that invests in financial information, technology and alternative energy companies. Her full professional resume, illustrating her extraordinary qualifications to serve as Town Treasurer, can be found here.
In town, Kathleen Corbet has served on the Board of Finance from 2006 to 2010; chaired the Best Practices Municipal Budgeting Task Force in 2008; represented the Town on the Collective Bargaining Negotiations Team in 2010; was the Treasurer and Programs co-chair of the League of Women Voters of New Canaan from 2007 to 2010; and has contributed to the work of the New Canaan Health & Human Services Commission, and Senior Healthcare & Housing Policy Development Team. She is a Justice of the Peace.
Additionally, Kathleen gives back to her alma maters as a current member of the Board of Trustees of Boston College, the Council for Women of Boston College and as a former co-chair of the Boston College Wall Street Council. She is a past member of New York University’s Stern School of Business Dean’s Executive Advisory Board. She also serves on the Investment Advisory Committee of the New York Community Trust and is a senior adviser to ProMujer, a non-profit that provides Latin America’s poor women with the means to build livelihoods for themselves and futures for their families through microfinance, business training, and healthcare support.
Kathleen and her husband Randy settled in New Canaan in 1996 shortly after their sons, Dylan and Ian, were born. Kathleen says, “We feel blessed to live in this community – we have made wonderful friendships, enjoy volunteering and experiencing all that New Canaan has to offer including the ambiance of the New Canaan downtown, the many athletic programs – Rec soccer, baseball, football, Y basketball – Cub and Boy Scouts, summer camps, concerts, parades and community gatherings that have further enriched our lives in this beautiful town.”
Campaign Overview: Kathleen Corbet’s record demonstrates her ability to work — successfully and collaboratively — with New Canaan’s residents, elected and appointed officials, employees, and external constituents (such as pension fund advisors, Town attorneys, and auditors). Accordingly, she will provide a new and effective approach to the position of New Canaan Town Treasurer.
New Canaan has had the same Town Treasurer since 1965. He is seeking a 24th term. In the wake of disturbing revelations about poor financial controls within Town Government, it is clear that New Canaan needs Kathleen Corbet. She is making concrete promises to New Canaan voters.
You can read Kathleen Corbet’s five pledges to New Canaan Voters as her endorsements from town Republicans and Democrats alike on her website, linked above.
Beth Jones
Selectman
Website: http://www.bethjonesforselectman.com/
Bio: Beth Jones has lived in our community her entire life, and has always been dedicated to serving the people of New Canaan. Now, when our town needs it most, Beth is seeking a seat on the Board of Selectmen. Beth is a lifelong resident of New Canaan and her family has lived here for four generations. She is a proud graduate of both St. A’s and New Canaan High School, then went to study at Manhattanville College. She returned to New Canaan, raised a family, and served the town in many capacities. Beth is on the New Canaan Town Council, where she is Conservation Commission liaison, and on the board of the New Canaan League of Women Voters, where she will be co-chairing the League’s upcoming Recycling Study. Beth is on the board of the Outback Teen Center and serves as a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels. She is a member of the Kiwanis Club of New Canaan, where she helped with the annual circus, the food drive and Homefront, assisting home-bound seniors. Beth volunteers for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and works at the ABC House (A Better Chance), helping provide educational opportunities (and delicious food!) to the young men who live there.
Campaign Overview: Simply put, Beth Jones has a proven record of service to the town, and understands its history and people well. People who know her know that she forms her opinions after listening to people, not before. That’s rare and necessary. She comes to Town Hall with no agenda, other than preserving what’s best about New Canaan while making sure its future is secure. Beth comes from our community. She will be our voice on the Board of Selectmen.
You can read Beth’s statements on key issues as well as her endorsements from state officials and town residents on her website, linked above.
John Emert & Joe Paladino
Town Council
Candidate statements
John Emert is a current member of the Town Council and was formerly a member of the Board of Finance and the Inland Wetlands Commission.
Throughout the campaign, John will talk about money, money, money and best practices to take proper care of that money! He believes that the major issues that the Town is facing involve Fiscal Responsibility and Good Government. From the standpoint of Fiscal Responsibility, it’s a truism, but the challenge is how to balance the need to provide services with the need to keep the increase in taxes as low as possible. Many residents of New Canaan are struggling in these difficult economic times. John believes the town needs an austerity budget and should remember the example of our frugal New England forbearers for whom less was more.
John Emert pledges to concentrate on the things that we really need, things that will benefit the most number of people in Town, and not the things that are nice to have. For instance, he has and will continue to oppose spending on unneeded consultants and spending $20,000 on iPads for members of the town bodies. He will continue to look for efficiencies in the Town Departments, the Library and the School District.He will vote against any portion of the budget where insufficient progress has been made toward realizing efficiencies, as he did this past year.
From the standpoint of Good Government, John believes New Canaan needs to strengthen internal controls to improve transparency and accountability. There have been too many “surprises” in recent years, such as (1) paving projects approved for $14 mil., but which cost $19 mil.–a $5 mil. overrun, (2) the failure to bid out tree contracts, and (3)the Lakeview Bridge arbitration expenses. To remedy these problems, John supports the establishment of a Public Works Commission to oversee the Department of Public Works; believes there should also be a formalization of bidding procedures where any Town contract over $7,500 is bid out, and there should also be firm rules for how expenses are approved.
Joe Paladino: As a part of the legislative body of our town government, Joe promises to use a common sense approach, ask pertinent questions and fully understand all topics prior to casting every vote. During these times of economic uncertainty, Joe pledges to work to curtail unnecessary expenditures, reduce the vacancy rate of our downtown and enjoy the charm and beauty that originally brought us here to this wonderful place that we all call home.
Alison Bedula
Board of Education
(incumbent, currently Secretary of the Board)
Candidate statement:
Alsion Bedula is running for a third term on the New Canaan Board of Education because she feels that she can use her knowledge and experience from the past eight years to continue to contribute to a school system which strives to deliver to our students, in a fiscally responsible manner, the highest level of curriculum and services needed to prepare them to enter an ever-changing and highly competitive global world.
Candidates for Other Offices
Board of Assessment Appeals:
Wendy Dixon Fog. Wendy Fog is running for her third term on the Board and will bring her experience and familiarity with the Appeals process to bear on the years ahead, when they’ll be needed most.
Constable
Cindy Franco, Nick Mitrakis and Ed Vollmer: Mr. Vollmer has served as a New Canaan Constable for many years. Cindy Franco and Nick Mitrakis are each running for the first time. This is a contested race, with 8 candidates vying for 7 positions.
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