Patch Candidate Profile: Robert Roqueta For Stamford Board Of Representatives

STAMFORD, 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 city.

Candidate's Name:
ROBERT ROQUETA

What office are you seeking?
Board of Representatives

What town do you live in?
Stamford

Campaign Website
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Party Affiliation:
No Affiliation

Occupation:
Registered Nurse (Psychiatric)

Family:

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

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
I am finishing up my 2nd term on the Board of Representatives.

Why are you seeking this office?
I have been on the Board of Representatives for 8 years. I love Stamford and I have a passion for giving back to my community and representing the constituents that I took an oath to serve.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the validated concern that our neighborhood could face a rash of higher-density type construction of residential developments that will negatively impact the quality of life and subsequently negatively affect the property values as well as destroy its historic character. I plan to organize my district's involvement in the political processes of the city. I plan to do this by utilizing volunteer district street ambassadors to assemble monthly in order to review and discuss all relative Planning and Zoning applications, plans, and regulation changes. In doing so, I plan to vote against any actionable item that my District 4 constituents deem to possibly negatively affect our neighborhood and vote for items that will positively affect our neighborhood.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
Although I can honestly say that I do not know much about the other candidates seeking this post in my district (4), I do know that they would be newcomers who have been endorsed by their local political parties and will face pressure to abide to loyalty and vote more in lockstep to the vision and agenda of their political party rather than looking at all of their constituents as equals where at a local level it has been shown that political party is irrelevant to the wants and needs of this city's citizens.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
I intend to address the "low priority" status of repairing and repaving the streets in our district as well as surveying the need for sidewalks in areas where none exist despite the usage of such areas by pedestrians daily. I also intend to create a way to help constituents feel more confident in the responsiveness and handling of their requests through the city's "Fix-It" platform. I also intend to quickly squash any attempts to use our district's parks and beaches as repositories for the placement of schools, housing, and major entertainment events (which have all been previously proposed) due to the city's administration's inability to properly utilize other areas of the city for said ideas.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I have multiple accomplishments through my experience as an 8-year incumbent legislator and representative on the board. Most notably, I researched and found a solution to the vehicle property tax evasion problem that was plaguing my district as well as the city as a whole. I found and proposed that the city seek services similar to what was being offered by the business entity Municipal Tax Services (MTS). MTS is a business that operates statewide that locates vehicle owners in municipalities who are living in a city but are not paying property taxes on their vehicles (as they had out-of-state and out-of-city license plates) that do not track back to the municipality's grand list. Through my discovery and knowledge sharing, the city of Stamford has since contracted with this entity, and it resulted in recouping millions of dollars that has since been added into the grand list as well as having put these registered vehicles on the grand list in perpetuity.
As a member and co-chair of the Housing, Social Services and Community Development committee, I have spearheaded not one, but two amendments to a city ordinance that led to tripling the amount of revenue (5% to 15%) from building permit fees (linkage) over the past 3 years that are ear marked for placement into the city affordable housing trust fund (SAHTF).

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
"If you have to choose between friendship or the integrity of speaking the truth, choose the truth".

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I would like them to know I believe in kindness and compassion first. I like to prioritize positions and issues in protecting those who are more vulnerable to being disenfranchised by any political outcome.