Town Council Candidate: John Scott

Editor's note: Seventeen candidates are running for 9 seats on the Groton Town Council on Nov. 8. Below is a Q&A with one of the candidates.

Name:  John F. Scott

Age:  42

Education:  bachelor's degree, Franklin Pierce University; Certified Insurance Counselor, The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research

Work Experience:  Owner/President - Bailey Agencies Inc

Civic/Political Experience:  Member of Groton RTM; chairman of RTM Rules and Procedures Committee; member, Groton Town Council, 2005 to 2007; chairman of Council Rules and Appointments Committee; chairman of Groton Phase Two School Design Committee; Groton Zoning Commission, 5 years; City of Groton Beach and Parks Commission, 2 years; past chairman, Groton Republican Town Committee; vice president, Groton Rotary Club; past treasurer, Groton Rotary Club; vice president, Friends of Mitchell College; past member, Friends of Lawrence and Memorial Hospital.

Family:  Partnered for 15 years with Rafael Burgos

Why are you running for this office?  In serving on the Groton RTM and previously on the Town Council it has been my goal to keep a watchful eye on the many different aspects of town government, which includes fair taxation, budgetary issues, safe and modern schools, employment, and other matters that affect both businesses and property owners alike.  As the owner of a business located in the heart of downtown Groton that employs 12 people, it is my belief that the Town of Groton is a wonderful and diverse place to live and work.  If elected I will continue to take a moderate approach to budget and government. It is my hope that Groton will continue to be a shining star in Southeastern Connecticut. 

What do you believe is the greatest challenge Groton faces today, and what would you do to meet this challenge?  One of the biggest challenges will be the town budget and the resulting property taxes that are collected based on that budget. With changes in Hartford and Washington impacting our income a burden will be placed upon the council to evaluate what is needed versus all of our income sources Our budget process does and excellent job of reviewing expenditures but additional weight needs to be place on where income will be coming from should the state and federal expenditures to the town dry up or be significantly reduced.

How would you rate the performance of the current board overall, and what, if anything, would you do differently?  The current council has done a decent job. There are two retirements this year of long serving councilors that depending on who gets elected in November could dramatically change the makeup and direction of the council. My hope is that the new council will be fiscally conservative and socially liberal.