We reached out to both the Killingworth Republican Town Committee and the Killingworth 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:
Donna Dupuis (Democrat, cross endorsed by Republicans)I am running for a second term for Killingworth Town Treasurer. I have had the privilege of living in Killingworth for 34 years with my husband, Joe, and our daughter, who currently lives in Windsor. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services.
During a 36-year career with AT&T, I held progressively responsible positions in Customer Service, Marketing, and Computer Programming. Following my time with AT&T, I processed a bi-weekly payroll for more than 200 employees spread over three states for a company based in Middletown. My work required the accurate and timely reporting of hours worked, paid time off, gross earnings, and withholdings. I provided a full reconciliation of expenses to the company’s CFO. Today, I routinely help at the Killingworth town hall as “office floater” covering for vacations in the Selectmen, Assessor, Tax Collector and Land Use offices. I have a strong understanding of the flow of information and revenue between the various areas of town government.
I have been a Volunteer District Coordinator and Instructor for the past eight years with the AARP Driver Safety program, a volunteer usher at Ivoryton Playhouse, and I am an associate member of Killingworth Historical Society’s Board of Directors
I enjoy keeping busy and always welcome an opportunity to learn. Over the past two years I have learned a great deal as Treasurer and there is still more to become familiar with. With two years behind me along with my previous experience, I believe I am well positioned to continue to serve the residents of Killingworth, and I will work hard to provide the service all residents have a right to expect from their elected officials.
As a resident, I remain concerned about the immediate and long-term impact of the pandemic on our quality of life, educational system and the health and welfare of our residents. We continue to navigate through uncharted waters. I believe that continuing education regarding the virus, responsible personal conduct and consideration for those around us will help to see us through. The town will receive over $1.8 million from the American Rescue Plan Act over the next two years and as a resident I hope that these funds will be spent wisely.
As treasurer, I will focus on the responsibilities of the position, paying particular attention to the growing cyber security threats. While our town government has state-of-the-art protections in place, the environment and threats are changing daily. I will encourage on-going reviews of our protections and on-going training for our personnel so that we don’t become complacent and let our guard down.
We have lived in Killingworth for 34 years. This is a town where people help people, there are incredibly dedicated volunteers keeping our fire department and ambulance services available to all residents, and we have maintained a small-town atmosphere while providing top-notch education for our children. We truly cannot imagine living anywhere else.
