2025 Patch Profile: Eric Wellman, Simsbury First Selectman

SIMSBURY, CT — Simsbury Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Eric Wellman is running for the Simsbury Board of Selectmen as an Independent.

He is running against incumbent Democratic First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis and Republican challenger Heather Goetz.

The following is Eric Wellman's questionnaire sent to Patch:

Candidate's Name: Eric Wellman

What office are you seeking? First Selectman

What town do you live in? Simsbury

Campaign Website: https://www.ericforsimsbury.com/

Party Affiliation: Unaffiliated

Occupation: Management consultant (12 years experience)

Family: My wife is Rachel Wellman. She grew up in Simsbury and is an educator in a neighboring school district. My daughter, Jayna, is an eighth-grader at Henry James.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? None

Previous public office, appointive or elective: I served as first selectman of Simsbury from 2017-21 and as a selectman from 2021-23.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running for first selectman because I believe our town deserves a leader who puts people before politics. Having already served two terms, I know what it takes to deliver balanced budgets, protect our sense of place, and support local families and businesses.

I am heartbroken by what is happening to our country when I look at our national politics. Our two-party system is letting the American people down.

Now is the time to support independent candidates who are able to work with anyone and put the good of the community ahead of the good of the party.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it: Getting taxes under control.

This is actually what I do for a living - getting spending under control.

My company works with businesses across the country to help them identify efficiencies without sacrificing quality or customer experience.

I bring a data-driven approach to the work I do to identify ways to work smarter and eliminate waste.

We need to keep Simsbury affordable for seniors and families. That starts by listening to what's important to our residents, getting crystal clear with our priorities, and using data whenever possible to guide decision-making.

In my previous two terms, we managed to keep taxes essentially flat, even delivering a modest tax decrease in 2020.

This stands in sharp contrast to the increases we've seen in the past couple of budget cycles.

If you want to know what an elected leader will do in the future, look at what they've done in the past.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I think the biggest difference between me and the other candidates is that I'm not beholden to a political party.

Serving as an independent is a governing advantage. It allows me to do what is best for Simsbury 100 percent of the time.

I don't have to follow a platform or partisan playbook, and I can put the interests of our residents ahead of anyone's agenda.

In my second term as first selectman, I appointed a member of the opposite party as my deputy - not because we agreed on everything, but because I knew he would challenge my thinking.

It is through respectful disagreement that I believe we get to better, more thoughtful policies.

If I am re-elected, I will be willing and able to work with anyone - Democrat, Republican, or unaffiliated.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

One of the highest responsibilities of local government is promoting public health and safety.

As a growing town, we need to make sure that our infrastructure grows with us. I support funding a second ambulance 24x7 to ensure response times remain as low as possible.

I serve on the CT Advisory Board for the Trust for Public Land.

I am a big supporter of our parks and open spaces. We need to make sure our parks remain clean and safe for all people to enjoy, which is why I have a plan to end illegal dumping - especially in Tariffville Park, where it's been a particular problem.

I serve on the board of directors of Simsbury Pollinator Pathway, and I believe that local government needs to lead the way when it comes to supporting the environment.

That means prioritizing native plants whenever possible so they use less water and need less costly upkeep.

I also believe we need to do our part when it comes to clean energy.

As we continue to make investments in town and school buildings, we must ensure we are considering solar and other proven technologies that support the environment and save taxpayer money.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence that you can handle this job?

In my two previous terms as first selectman, we kept taxes mostly flat and even put through a modest reduction in 2020.

Even while keeping taxes flat, we prioritized our schools and invested in our parks, trails, and open space.

As first selectman, I led the acquisition of the Meadowood property, which is now 300 acres of productive farmland, animal habitat, and hiking trails (most of the cost of the acquisition was funded by grants, not local taxpayers).

We also fostered business retention and growth, helping to alleviate some of the burden placed on homeowners.

I worked with our largest private employer, Ensign Bickford, which has made millions in investments in its Simsbury campus while creating more than 150 good-paying jobs.

I was part of the team that negotiated, what was at the time, the largest solar deal in Connecticut history. Today, Tobacco Valley Solar is one of Simsbury's single largest taxpayers.

As a business owner myself, I know what it takes to attract and retain companies that are the right fit for Simsbury.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The best advice I ever received is to listen more than I speak.

That's how I lead. Before we do anything in local government, we need to listen to what our constituents are telling us. It leads to better decisions, partnerships, and builds trust.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Many people are surprised to learn that I used to have a very different career - as a host and journalist in the National Public Radio system.

As a journalist, it's about knowing what questions to ask. It's about listening. It's not about having all the answers.

I take that philosophy into my public service. I believe that taking all perspectives into account — elevating as many voices as possible — we get to a better place.