Leslie Hutchison, Patch Staff

Leslie has lived in Cheshire for more than a decade and covered the town for about seven years as a reporter for The Cheshire Herald and the Record-Journal. She has also worked for the Norwalk Citizen-News and the North Haven Citizen newspapers. She has a degree in mass communications from Stephen F. Austin State University and started her career in Texas. She's worked at television stations in three states and moved to Connecticut to work at WVIT as the creative services director. At WTNH, Leslie was nominated for two northeast Emmy awards for news promotion. 

<b>Your Beliefs</b>

At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for you to inject your beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that your beliefs are on the record will cause you to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.

<b>Politics </b>

How would you describe your political beliefs? Populist

Are you registered with a certain party? Yes

<b>Religion</b>

How religious would you consider yourself? I&#39;m spiritual rather than religious. I am a Unitarian Universalist.

<b> </b><b>Local Hot-Button Issues</b>

What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?

Finding the revenue for the town&#39;s first $100 million budget. Hiring of a new police chief. Choosing a solution for the Community Swimming Pool that continues to be a very expensive facility for heating costs in the winter. Creating more affordable housing in Cheshire. Protecting environmentally sensitive areas such as the Quinnipiac River and wetlands.

Where do you stand on each of these issues?

I believe human services should be considered a top priority. Residents should be warm and not hungry. Any service cuts due to funding should not come from this area.

The new police chief should be able to reach across to the union to bring cooperation back to the department.

The pool has never been self-funding although that was the plan when it opened. It either has to be enclosed by a permanent building or become a summer-only facility. The bubble has never been a good choice. A public-private partnership could be the answer.

Cheshire is far from having the required percentage of affordable housing, even with the future addition of units on West Main Street. Hourly workers and single parents should be able to afford to live in the town where they work.

I have been an environmentalist since I was a teen growing up in the Rocky Mountains. I believe toxic chemicals, such as pesticides, should be severely limited in use.