CT Patch Candidate Profile: Meghan McCloat For RTM

FAIRFIELD, CT — The 2025 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Connecticut Patch asked local candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Candidate's Name:
Meghan McCloat

What office are you seeking?
RTM District 2

What town do you live in?
Fairfield, Connecticut

Campaign Website
https://www.fairfieldrtc.com/2025-rtm-candidates

Party Affiliation:
Republican

Occupation:
Deputy Director of Labor Relations and Interim Acting Health Director - City of Bridgeport

Family:

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
RTM District 2 Representative

Why are you seeking this office?
To continue to represent the constituents in my district by advocating for the needs of my neighbors, holding local government accountable to the taxpayers, and retaining local control in the face of a state wide mandate to over-develop towns like the Town of Fairfield

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
Affordability and Local Control. We've got to make Connecticut a place where families, young and old, want to live, grown and thrive in. We need to attract revenue-generating corporations, invest in infrastructure, and market our State as the wonderful place it is, to retain the next generation. Hartford has been imposing one-size-fits-all mandates on Towns throughout the State with little regard to the local governance knowing what works best for their hometown. It's time to return the local control to the towns and municipalities.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I speak up to ask questions, I critically analyze all of the proposals put before the RTM each month and I do not back down from the uncomfortable topics that taxpayers have the right to demand answers to from their administration leadership. I do not vote along party lines, I have independent thought analysis and approach to all proposals and I insist on researching the issue before stating an opinion on it. I consider elected office an important duty and the constituents that vote you into the office have a right to expect their representatives dedicate the time and attention to effectively advocate for their interest.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
Transparency in Local Government. A critical piece of good government is ensuring that all decisions and fiscal allocations are done in a procedurally compliant, ethical, and transparent way for the taxpayers. Unfortunately our recent history in Fairfield has not afforded taxpayers the level of transparency that is necessary to demand the trust of its constituents. Demanding transparency, accountability and compliance with our Charter, the Freedom of Information Act, and other state statutes is of utmost importance in restoring that trust by many who have strayed from remaining engaged and involved due to disappointments in the past. I strive to restore that trust and accountability to the legislative process in Fairfield, and am proud to be able to have a part in that as a current RTM representative.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have been a vocal and present advocate on behalf of my constituents at the RTM in Fairfield. Participating in critical ordinance analysis and fielding questions on various items including the Parking Authority Dissolution which I fervently opposed, the Connecticut Municipal Development Authority (CMDA) which I opposed, and various other Freedom of Information Act violations that our super-majority ignored to the constituents' due process detriment, I have never backed down from demanding the public record reflect opposition when it was appropriate. Many taxpayers have adamant stances against certain changes in our Town, but feel that their voices can't be leveraged if their representatives don't' attend, speak up, and do their homework on the various issues. I will continue to dedicate my time to doing so , if re-elected to the RTM in Fairfield.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
3 things: 1. You can never be overdressed or overeducated (Oscar Wilde and my Mom) 2. If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room, always go somewhere where you can learn. (my Dad). 3. Ask the difficult questions (my Grandma).

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I'm a life long community volunteer, which I think is what makes me most prepared to continue in this role. Nothing prepares somebody more to represent their community, than spending time serving their community and learning the needs of the people who live in your neighborhoods. My most proud accomplishments are some of the charitable organizations I've held leadership roles in which returned some of my most valuable experiences. As a member of the President’s Council of the Yale New Haven Health & Bridgeport Hospital’s Norma Pfriem Breast Cancer Center, I co-founded and chaired the Town of Fairfield’s Pink Pledge Campaign that organizes local schools, merchants and corporations to unite each October to raise awareness and funds for the breast center’s patients and services. Pink Pledge has raised nearly $2million in the 10 years since it began. I'm also a co-founder of Christmas at the Burr, the return of the beloved Christmas Tree Festival at the Burr Homestead here in Fairfield. I've previously held executive board positions in the Junior Women’s Club of Fairfield and Big Brothers Big Sisters in Worcester MA. I'm an active member of the alumni association at Notre Dame High School in Fairfield, and I created the Jerry McCloat Lancer Football Memorial Scholarship in honor of my father, which hosted a golf outing fundraiser to support the football program. I also co-founded the Cardinal Sheehan Center 'Girls Zone' for preteen young girls to receive career advice, mentorship, self-esteem and guidance in Bridgeport. Giving back to the community is a part of my life that continues to drive my dedication toward service. Being an RTM representative is just an extension of that community service and leadership, it is that reason that I'm willing to step up and be a voice for local residents. I recently used my healthcare law background to advocate for my neighbors as the President of a grass-roots organization, Neighbors for Neighborhood Preservation Inc., an organization that opposes for-profit corporations circumventing zoning laws by seeking to establish and operate medical treatment facilities in residential neighborhoods like Greenfield Hill and Southport. I've worked with our local legislators over the past 6 years to advocate and lobby for legislation to clarify the definition of group homes to prevent improper invocation of the exemption, in order to protect quality care delivery of mental health treatment by advocating for proper regulation, proper zoning and proper oversight of operations. I drafted the bills, I lobbied them before Planning & Development and Housing committees, and I gathered stakeholder input and research metrics to leverage our proposal. I negotiate daily with over a dozen collective bargaining units on behalf of the largest municipality in Connecticut, and my in depth municipal experience makes me uniquely familiar with the municipal ordinances and Charter issues that come before the RTM routinely in Fairfield.