Patch Candidate Profile: Justin Paglino For Guilford Board Of Selectmen

GUILFORD, CT — Election Day on Nov. 4 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot.

Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing the town.

Candidate's Name:
justin paglino

What office are you seeking?
Board of Selectmen

What town do you live in?
Guilford

Campaign Website
http://justin4all.org

Party Affiliation:
Green Party of Connecticut

Occupation:
Piano Teacher

Family:
Wife and two children. Son Dean is 20 at UVM and daughter Elise is 16 at GHS.

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

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
no

Why are you seeking this office?
To serve my community, improve sustainability and affordability.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
affordability. We need to try and stop increasing the mill rate every year. Also look at property tax freezes or breaks for those on limited incomes. Perhaps, for example, those who qualify for Medicaid could get a property tax break of 50%. I'd favor a tiered progressive mill rate, if possible to implement. Affordable housing means starter homes and affordable rental space with rent control.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
As a member of the Green Party, I put particular urgency on environmental issues (I'd favor clean municipal power for Guilford) as well as electoral reforms that help make political representation more diversified and more proportionally representative, via a different ballot design that allows ranked choice voting. I'd also favor a RTM (representative town meeting) form of government.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
I'd like to see ecology as a requirement for all our high school students, and make sure our schools are doing all they can to address verbal and physical bullying.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I've been co-chair of the national Green Party since 2024, able to work with others professionally to try and find consensus and move tasks forward.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Follow Your Bliss (Joseph Campbell)

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
Two party politics is bad for our democracy, it's divisive and non-representative. To get better outcomes in our democracy, we need better democracy, which requires electoral reforms: Ranked Choice Voting, Proportional Representation, and Public Campaign Finance.