Patch Candidate Profile: Vicki Tesoro For Trumbull First Selectman

TRUMBULL, 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 their towns.

Candidate's Name:

Vicki Tesoro

What office are you seeking?

First Selectman of Trumbull

What town do you live in?

Trumbull

Campaign Website

Party Affiliation:

Democrat

Occupation:

First Selectman of Trumbull, 8 years of experience

Family:

I live in Trumbull with my husband Tom, a retired C-suite executive who now serves as an adjunct professor at the University of New Haven, Quinnipiac University, and Sacred Heart University, and our dog, Linguini. We have two daughters, both graduates of Trumbull Public Schools. Laura and her husband, also a Trumbull graduate, live out of state. She is a teacher and independent consultant. Melissa is a Director of Human Resources. She lives in Trumbull with her husband and their son Freddy.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

Currently First Selectman of Trumbull, 2017- present, previously served on the Trumbull Board of Finance, 2016-2017 and the Trumbull Town Council, 2011-2015.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking re-election to continue to build on the accomplishments my administration has achieved over the last eight (8) years. Our strategic investment in education ensures that Trumbull remains a community of choice! We have one of the best school systems in Connecticut. Our students excel in academics, athletics and the arts. Most importantly, our graduates are successful in their post-secondary pursuits.

Our recreation facilities are second to none with refurbished tennis and basketball courts, a sizable number of pickleball courts, updated outdoor pools and splash pads, upgraded parks and walking trails, more sidewalks, a new multiuse playing field at Indian Ledge Park, outstanding recreation programs, and more!

Trumbull is a safe community thanks to our terrific first responders. We restored a defined benefit pension place to our police officers hired after July 1, 2014.

Our finances are strong, our taxes stable and predictable, and our spending is less than the rate of inflation over 8 years. Our financial management has been consistently praised by independent ratings agencies for its conservative fiscal approach.

We’ve made major strides in walkability and infrastructure. Over the past eight years, we’ve added miles of new sidewalks, improved crosswalk visibility, and upgraded traffic signals to enhance pedestrian safety—especially near schools and parks. Our paving program is proactive, and data driven. We have introduced new programs to extend the useful life of our roads.

This is just a sample of what my administration has done. We have so much to be proud of, and I want to continue that forward progress. Trumbull is a thriving community under my administration and, if elected, I will keep it that way.

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

Like every community, Trumbull faces an affordability challenge. Inflation, tariffs, high rents, and housing prices along with the general state of the economy have people concerned.

Here is what we have done and what we will continue to do.

We are always laser focused on keeping our taxes low by controlling spending, focusing on economic development, and seeking more federal and state funding.

We review the budget line by line, department by department every year. Town department heads are required to justify every line of their spending requests. The Board of Education budget goes through a similar exercise. This approach to our Town budget has allowed us to keep spending below the rate of inflation over 8 years. We are committed to smart, focused, and informed economic development. And, we have successfully sought and will continue to seek federal and state funds to offset property taxes. We are disciplined and will remain so.

We need to ensure that young families and seniors have an opportunity to live in Trumbull, which means looking at opportunities to expand senior housing along the lines of Long Hill Village. We offer tax relief programs to seniors in need, disabled veterans, EMS, and firefighters.

We do all this now and provide, highly ranked schools, excellent public safety, vital senior services, beautiful community spaces and many recreation opportunities our citizens have come to expect.

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

There are many differences, and I will highlight a few:

We have an 8-year track record of success leading this community. He has none.

We know the issues facing our community and everyday work to address these issues. We have led and continue to prepare ourselves to lead going forward. My opponent has not.

We understand how government works, what the role of the First Selectman is and what local government can impact. My opponent does not.

He proposes “bottom-up budgeting”—a process we already use. Every department must justify every line of their budget annually. That’s how we’ve kept spending below inflation for eight years.

We do say facts matter but we also say truth matters too. My opponent throws around a big number in the hope of misleading you. He fails to tell you that number is over 8 years and when you break it down, our spending over those 8 years is less than the rate of inflation, approximately 2.7% per year. He puts out a mailer featuring two houses and their tax increases. He fails to point out how much those homes increased in value. If you want to lead, you must tell the truth, tell all the facts, not just those convenient to your narrative.

I could go on but in summary, we have a track record of success, we have and will continue to do the preparation needed to lead and when we speak, we will not offer banal generalities, but fact based, truth based, responses

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

I will continue to prioritize, affordability, education, safety, and quality of life for all residents.

I will continue to focus on the need for more senior housing options. Economic development is also essential to our vision over the past eight years and that focus will continue. We have attracted hundreds of millions in investments, reduced hundreds of thousands of square feet of corporate vacancies and redeveloped or reoccupied a significant amount of commercial space.

We have put forward a bold new plan for the redevelopment of the Trumbull Mall. We continue to work to revitalize the White Plains Corridor with an emphasis on Trumbull Center.

We will also continue investing in infrastructure—sidewalks, paving, traffic signals, and crosswalks—to keep Trumbull safe, accessible, and beautiful.

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

We have an 8-year track record of leadership success. Our taxes are stable and our finances strong. Our education system is the 6th best in the State. We invest in quality-of-life projects from beautification and upgrading our parks, outstanding recreational facilities, to our thousand tree initiative. We make sure all of our First Responders and our Public Works Employees have the training and equipment they need to keep us safe. We are a safe community for all.

Also, when the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, faced with a situation where there was no precedent on which to rely and no playbook from which to draw, we kept our government functioning, our citizens and employees safe, and our seniors engaged. We successfully led Trumbull in one of the most challenging times.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Treat everyone with respect, speak truthfully, and always do the right thing.

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

People sometimes confuse leadership with bombast. They confuse strength with self-promotion and showboating. My leadership style is reserved, careful, considerate, and welcoming of all points of view.

My strength comes from listening, preparation, analysis, and then taking a position and presenting that position completely and with dignity.

Trumbull is a great place to live, work and play. I’m proud of what we’ve built together—and I ask for your vote to keep Trumbull thriving.