Politics & Government

From the Candidate: Barbara Petitjean

For the 2011 campaign, Simsbury Patch asked candidates to send a 500-word statement or a one-minute video. Election Day is Nov. 8.

Name: Barbara Petitjean

Age: 56

Party, position seeking: Republican — Board of Finance 

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Family information: I have made Simsbury my home for most of my life. I graduated from the Simsbury schools and live in West Simsbury with my mother, Ruth.

Occupation: Vice president in finance at The Hartford. Formerly served as the undersecretary of intergovernmental policy at the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management in the division responsible for municipal finance and taxes. Financial positions in Connecticut manufacturing and banking sectors. Licensed attorney with experience both in-house and in private practice.   

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Political experience: More than 20 years of volunteer experience in Simsbury. Current member Simsbury Board of Finance, former chairman and member of the Simsbury Public Building Committee during renovations at the high school and the library, member Simsbury Board of Ethics, former member Simsbury Economic Development Commission.

Other experience: BA from Mount Holyoke College; MBA and JD from the University of Connecticut. Served on the State of Connecticut Municipal Advisory Commission, Connecticut Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, founding member of Business for Downtown Hartford Association and the Hartford Guides Program. Avid UConn basketball fan.

Statement: Simsbury is on solid financial footing and has earned an AAA rating from Moody's. We received this rating because of our “history of sound fiscal management, stable grand list, strong wealth indices and manageable debt burden”. (Moody’s 2011) I want to continue on the board of finance to maintain this excellence. 

In the volunteer positions in Simsbury, I have always worked to manage our precious tax dollars wisely and to find creative ways to minimize the tax burden on Simsbury residents. This summer, I voted to refinance the High School Renovation bonds in order to take advantage of all-time low interest rates to save approximately $55,000 annually for the next seven years. In the past, I voted to double the tax reimbursement benefit available to seniors on fixed incomes and to broaden eligibility for the program. When I served on the Simsbury Public Building Committee, we worked across party lines to deliver a high quality high school renovation project that was approximately $8 million under budget. While on the economic development commission, I worked to support local businesses and to add several new businesses to our tax rolls.

These are challenging financial times. We have a stagnant grand list, threats of decreasing state aid, infrastructure in need of continued maintenance and contract commitments that will increase our cost of government. We must balance these with the capacity of our residents to pay our already high taxes. I will continue to work hard to control taxes and to retain the high quality of our schools and town services. 

I ask for your vote on November 8 so that I can continue to be Simsbury's voice for fiscal responsibility. Thank you for taking the time to learn about candidates and to make your vote count.


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