CT Patch Candidate Profile: Stu Zolty For Milford Board Of Aldermen

MILFORD, 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 candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Stu Zolty, a Democrat, is a Milford resident running for Board of Aldermen in the First District.

Occupation:

For the past 20 years, I have been a Program Planner and budget analyst in the aerospace/defense industry. I provide expertise and support to hundreds of Program Planners worldwide, serving as the go-to source to answer questions on issues that cannot be easily resolved. I develop training materials for using specialized software and conduct related training classes for all new department employees. The skills for this position were honed by 13 years of creating, updating, maintaining, and analyzing program plans that together have a total value exceeding $6B. This has involved working with hundreds of engineers, program managers, and finance analysts to understand the true status of these projects, confirming where things were working well and revealing where the greatest risks were hiding.

Family:
I have been married to my wife for 24 years. Together we have a young adult son and an 8-year-old dog named Frisbee. My wife has a wonderful, creative business she has built from scratch, which has drawn customers worldwide. My son has Autism, and we moved to Milford when he was in elementary school in large part due to the excellent schools and programs available for children like him on the spectrum. He graduated from Jonathan Law and is currently enrolled in the Post Graduate Transition Program at Parsons Center.

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

No, I am a first-time candidate

Why are you seeking this office?
Accountability is one of the most important responsibilities of public service. Taxpayers deserve to know how decisions are made, how funds are spent, and what results are being delivered. If elected, I will bring the same standards of clarity, fairness, and follow-through that have guided my professional career, ensuring that residents can see and trust the outcomes of their local government.

I bring a mindset crafted by decades of budget and project management experience, but more importantly, I see myself as a problem solver. I am not preoccupied with assigning blame for why a situation exists, but focused on bringing it to resolution, often with new, innovative ideas.

One of the largest responsibilities of the Board of Aldermen has is to review and pass a budget each year after it is proposed by the Mayor. I can assure voters that I will review the details of any future city budgets with the same scrutiny that I have applied to dozens of projects throughout my career.

As I have watched the political strife at the national level start to seep down to our state and more recently to the local level, I felt the need to step forward in the hope to bring some normalcy and civility back into the public sphere.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
Taxes. We have seen a major spike over the past two years, with almost nothing to show for it. I will dive into the next Mayor’s budget to determine where our money is being spent and use my experience to ask the right questions to ensure that it is being done responsibly. In this area, I will push hard to secure full funding for our education system not let it get shortchanged to cover the costs of less important expenses.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I bring an outside perspective shaped by more than 20 years managing complex budgets and projects in the private sector, where success depends on collaboration, accountability, and results. My focus is on using that experience to serve Milford — applying practical problem-solving skills, improving efficiency, and helping city government make decisions that put the community’s needs first. My goal is simply to contribute those strengths to make our city run as effectively and responsibly as possible.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
Education and overall long-range planning. Our school system is the heartbeat of our community, and keeping the quality of that at a high level is beneficial to everyone in Milford, even those who do not currently have children in school. Our schools need to be fully funded, with particular focus on what directly impacts our kids.

We need to have stronger long-term plans for our overall growth and development. We have opportunities to redevelop disused, abandoned, and blighted properties into something more vibrant, while at the same time ensuring that we keep overdevelopment under control. We can’t – and shouldn’t – stop progressing forward, but it needs to be done the right way in the right places.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
As mentioned previously, I have managed project plans in excess of $6B, so dealing with large, complex systems has become a natural skill honed by decades of experience.

As an example: Earlier this year, our department’s systems were updated to a new set of internal standards, which required nearly 1000 projects, being handled by dozens of employees, to convert their data in the span of only a couple of weeks. I successfully oversaw this entire process, including developing processes and procedures, provided training, and created validation systems.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Never confuse motion for progress

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I want voters to know that I am not running for office to build a political career, but to serve the community I call home. Milford has given my family so much—great schools, supportive programs, and a true sense of belonging—and this is my opportunity to give back. For more than 20 years I have managed billion-dollar budgets and complex projects in the aerospace and defense industry, leading teams, streamlining processes, and ensuring accountability at every step. That same discipline and problem-solving mindset is exactly what I will bring to city government. If elected, I will approach every issue with an open mind, a commitment to efficiency and results, and a focus on practical, innovative solutions that put Milford first.