2025 Patch Profile: Paul Chaplinsky​, Southington Town Council

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

Paul Chaplinsky is running for the Southington Town Council as a Republican.

The following is Paul Chaplinsky's questionnaire sent to Patch:

Candidate's Name: Paul Chaplinsky

What office are you seeking? Town Council

What town do you live in? Southington, CT

Party Affiliation: Republican

Occupation: Global technical leader in engineering, innovation, and business

Family: Married to Kim Chaplinsk, a fourth-grade educator. Son Chris is a mechanical engineer for a defense contractor. Daughter Marina is third year at university studying criminal justice.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? My cousin Todd Chaplinsky was elected as a PZC member.

Previous public office, appointive or elective: Previously served as a Southington Planning and Zoning Commissioner for 11 years, including as secretary and vice chair. Most recently served six years as Town Councilman, including vice chair and chairman.

Why are you seeking this office? I’m running for office again because our work is not done.

Southington’s residents need a strong advocate to continue fiscal responsibility and maintain the character and feel of our town, while fighting against state mandates that threaten our town.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it: The most pressing issues are continuing to fight to keep our taxes low while still funding for above average education, safety and infrastructure needs and supporting our seniors and veterans.

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

I prefer not to focus on the differences or shortcomings of others. Instead, I will continue to be an advocate to work together to achieve win-win solutions that move our community forward.

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

Open space and land preservation are important to me because I often hear from our community that they would like to see land preservation continue, as opposed to continued development.

We have a couple of open space purchase projects with significant land preservation potential in the works that I intend to work diligently to complete.

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

• Kept taxes low and preserved our AA+ bond rating

• Invested in schools, safety, veterans, and senior programs. Created a digital strategy and began the implementation journey. Delivered the new library on time and under budget.

• Upgraded more than 20 miles of roads, improved our parks, and transformed downtown Plantsville. Preserved our downtown parking and recreation activities with the purchase of the former Bank of America properties.

• Expanded police and fire services and equipment, including a new fire truck, and added Flock cameras that have helped drive auto thefts down 70 percent in the last few years.

• Preserved and maintained open space, enhanced farming, implemented community gardens, and protected local zoning from one-size-fits-all Hartford policies.

• Stood against increased electric rates and public benefits charges, and stood against ReWorld's expansion of biomedical waste incineration and the noise emitted from their facility.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The best advice I have received is to use faith and the Lord as my guide in all that I do.