We reached out to both the Haddam Republican Town Committee and the Haddam Democrat Town Committee and asked candidates to respond to a set of questions; if a candidate did not respond, their name is listed, so that you know who is running for each office.
Updates from all candidates are welcome and will be published as Letters to the Editor. The questions posed to the candidates were:
- Tell us a little about yourself.
- Why are you running for the position?
- What do you see as the important issues facing Haddam and how would you address them in your role?
- What are the key things you love about this town and its people?
- Additional thoughts to leave voters with?
JoAnn Woickelman (D): I am originally from Middletown but moved to Haddam when I married. I have two grown sons; one lives in town and the other son and his wife recently moved to Vermont. My working career was in banking, and I graduated from Connecticut School of Finance & Management. I retired from Liberty Bank as Assistant Vice President and had managed the Haddam & Higganum branches.
Between my banking experience, 26 years on the Board of Finance, and 14 years on the Board of Assessment Appeals, I understand the balance between the Grand List, town budget and its effect on the mill rate. The final result is your tax bill.
My role is to listen to the taxpayer. The Board is an advocate for them, within the confines of the CT state statues. I enjoy working with people and assisting them.
The Haddam community is welcoming, generous, and caring. I see this through groups I am a part of: Haddam Scholarship, Salvation Army, Committee on Aging, and Haddam Elderly Housing.
Please consider reelecting me by voting on November 2, 2021. Thank you.
Craig Salonia (R): My wife Pam and I moved here from NJ in 2000. Over the years we have worked on improving our home, doing various volunteer activities in town including on the Board of Assessment Appeals and at St. Peter church. At the time of my retirement I had been working as a senior account manager for GE Healthcare Life Sciences. In that position, I managed all aspects of the client relationship, ascertained their requirements and delivered on those needs.
I am running for a second term on the Board of Assessment Appeals because I believe I can work with potential applicants to find an impartial and equitable resolution to their issue. At the same time it would allow me to help town government to work better for all residents.
Much of the resources used to run the town government come from property taxes and so I believe that citizens should have an engaged impartial board to hear their concerns. Also since much of the board’s work is governed by state statutes, I believe my previous experience will help achieve that goal.
Since my wife and I moved here we have since come to enjoy this small town community with its committed and supportive citizens along with the natural beauty of this area knowing that the “big city” is only a short drive away.
I look forward to serving the citizens of Haddam and ask for your support on November 2nd.
Judy Goldfarb (D): I have lived in Higganum with my husband Barry for more than 20 years, active in various concerns in town. We have enjoyed the rural feeling, along with the natural beauty and the strong sense of history. The diversity of the homes exhibit the history and the architectural sense of what has been here and is here. The people of this town share concerns, willingness to meet and discuss. The roles of people willing to make this a vibrant town is attractive. Our three sons continue to wonder why they didn’t grow up here.
I previously served on the Board of Assessment Appeals and am seeking this position again. My experience on the Board, as well as previous experiences as a schoolteacher in urban, rural and military districts, a before- and after-school director, a trainer, a consultant and an advocate for children, families and those who work with them give me great listening and decision-making skills. For more than 20 years I was the director of the Hartford Area Child Care Collaborative, a project of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, convening a broad range of stakeholders to improve and sustain effective early childhood programs by incubating and implementing new projects with community input to demonstrate quality improvement, using research to inform good practice and data to improve outcomes. I have served in leadership positions on state and national professional associations, am an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow, and am a member of the: Planning Commission for Higher Education, Post University Early Childhood Advisory Council, Two Generation Policy Work Group, and the Connecticut Birth – Grade Three Alignment Leadership. My ability to ask questions, seek a balance or understand resident concerns, and balance the finances of the town, along with the above experiences and my commitment to the town and the families who live here make me an excellent candidate for the Board of Assessment Appeals.
“Knowledge comes by taking things apart: analysis. But wisdom comes by putting things together….”
— John A. Morrison
