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10/30/2023 02:34 PMChester voters will head to the polls to cast their ballots on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7. Among the races, the town’s top spot, first selectman, is up for grabs. Republican Ron Amara faces Democrat Cindy Lingar.
The candidates talked with the Valley Courier to share their backgrounds and accomplishments, the kind of leadership Chester deserves, and what makes them proud to be members of their communities.
Candidate: Ron Amara
Position Currently Held: Active citizen
Office Seeking: First Selectman
Party Affiliation: Republican
Campaign Phone Number: 860-304-5908
Chester Resident Since: 1996
Education: Middletown High School, Middlesex Community College associate degree in accounting, Central Connecticut State University (New Britain) Bachelor of Science in accounting
What inspired you to run for First Selectman of Chester?
A combination of positive feelings for Chester, and I recognized need for qualified and capable leadership
What kind of leadership do you believe Chester residents deserve in their first selectman?
Good communication, integrity, education training, and skills to manage effectively with concern for all residents, taxpayers, and businesses
What kind of experience would you bring to the First Selectman’s Office?
The ability to listen and learn, to sift through information and weigh the concerns of all citizens so that we can do the greatest good for the greatest number of people and no harm.
What have been your proudest accomplishments in your current vocation? What have you learned from these accomplishments that you will bring to the first selectman’s office?
As a longtime coach of youth sports, I’m always focused on team, on playing the best game cleanly, and setting goals that will produce positive outcomes. I’ve been an accountant and businessman, and I’ve managed multiple seven-figure accounts of nationally recognized brands at the same time and brought them all in on budget, on time, and to the satisfaction of all the players.
What are your three key issues as you seek election? How will solving the challenges associated with these issues continue to make life in Chester better for residents, small business owners, etc?
We need to focus on taxes and controlling spending and keeping Chester affordable for all people – especially the elderly and working families. We need to preserve the qualities of Chester that made it wonderful, including protecting the environment, putting residents ahead of tourists, making it business-friendly for all size companies that benefit our local economy, and building community. Government should work for all the constituents and should make life better, providing good services that people need and will use. We need to control spending and still have essentials such as an accessible library, recreation/senior center, senior housing while managing our fire, police, and safety and maintaining quality, affordable education.
What makes you proud to be a Chester resident? Why should its residents be proud to be one as well?
My three children and I have experienced a welcoming, family-friendly place that offers a rare sense of safety, home, and Mother Nature and is unique. When I came to Chester 27 years ago, it was a warm community. Everyone can benefit from that. I think we’ve gotten a little off-track, and it’s time to restore Community First in Chester. Everyone will benefit from that.
Candidate: Cindy Lingar
Positions Currently Held: Chester Sustainability Team Lead, Economic Development Commission member, Regional Planning Committee member to the RiverCOG, (former member of the Ad-Hoc Governance Study Committee)
Office Seeking: Chester First Selectman
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Campaign Phone Number: 203-430-1501
Chester Resident Since: May 2004
Education: Registered nurse, Bachelor of Science in nursing, Minor in biology. Paralegal diploma in legal nurse consulting.
What inspired you to run for first selectman of Chester?
After serving on the Governance Study Committee and then moving immediately into the Sustainable CT Silver Certification application process over the past year, and knowing that our current three-member Board of Selectmen (BOS) were all retiring, I felt inspired to run. After the finalized Governance Study report was reviewed by the current Board of Selectmen, they voted for a resolution in April to appoint and initiate a Charter Commission. Having intimate knowledge of the Governance Study report process and results, I support the work of the Charter Commission and look forward to receiving the final Charter draft for review and potential readiness for a vote by town residents at a referendum in November 2024. While working daily for several months on the Silver Certification application, I collaborated with the many talented, skilled, and dedicated volunteers serving on most of our boards and commissions, the merchants facilitator, our tourism liaison, and town staff, including staff from the selectman’s office, the Department of Public Works, the library director and staff and more who collectively help make Chester amazing. We were awarded our Silver Certification status on Sept. 29! I’ve also been serving as a member of the Economic Development Commission and attending Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, Charter Commission, and Chester Merchants meetings.
What kind of leadership do you believe Chester residents deserve in their first selectman?
Chester residents deserve a leader who is trustworthy, fiscally responsible, has a proven record of management and leadership, skilled in economic development, collaborative, communicative, including the ability to listen; forward-looking and able to organize, plan, and implement; able to negotiate and be open to other ideas; and caring.
What kind of experience would you bring to the First Selectman’s Office?
I plan on using my personal and professional skills to bring energy, experience, and engagement to the first selectman’s office. Energy that includes a full-time dedication to the position. My town volunteer work has been generally daily and intermittently up to several hours per day since November 2022. I bring experience as a professional businesswoman, having worked as a supervisor, director of quality management and education, director of clinical services, vice president of operations, and nurse consultant, and much more, and as a former co-owner of Squared Circle Studio in Deep River for 10 years. I plan to regularly engage our residents, our town staff, boards and commissions, and partners to build relationships and trust and provide support with the goal of strengthening our town outcomes. During the pandemic, I volunteered as a front-line vaccinator and COVID-19 tester, beginning with serving on the CT Medical Reserve Corps, and then offered a part-time position as a public health nurse in the Middletown Health Department. I worked closely with the Middletown Health Director and assisted in structuring the public health nurse role and field supervising the vaccination clinics.
What have been your proudest accomplishments during your time leading the Sustainability Committee?
Being central to Chester’s awarded Silver Certification status, with Chester becoming the 27th municipality in Connecticut (out of 169 municipalities) to receive that status, collaborating to establish recycling bins on Main Street in the downtown area, and assisting in creating a cohesive group of Sustainability Team volunteers.
What are your three key issues as you seek election? How will solving the challenges associated with these issues continue to make life in Chester better for residents, small business owners, etc?
Communication – I plan to provide open, informative, and responsive communications to ensure public input.
Effective and efficient government, including proactive planning to meet goals and objectives in the current Plan of Conservation and Development; support optimization of our government structure; ensure balanced budgets and fiscal accountability; support delivery of town services, including enhancing public safety, as well as community health and wellness programs.
Smart economic development and sustainable progress that includes regular engagement and support of local businesses. Investigation to obtain funding to pay for current infrastructure needs and promote new infrastructure as decided by the town and residents; explore partnerships, businesses, and funding opportunities to sustain and improve the town’s economy and hold the line on taxes; Plan to diversify our housing stock to ensure affordable housing for workers, younger individuals and families, and our seniors. Support and promote local arts and cultural offerings, recreation infrastructure, and road safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and protect our town’s unique character and historical and natural resources.
What makes you proud to be a Chester resident? Why should its residents be proud to be one as well?
Who doesn’t love Chester?! We all do! People from elsewhere want to live here. We have a strong sense of community, a general kindness and caring for each other that permeates our town, a collection of talented people who bring wisdom and culture and friendship, arts, and music. Chester has natural and historic beauty and resources, an engaging library, recreation offerings, wonderful shops, and quality restaurants, regularly scheduled downtown activities. Dedicated town staff, a dedicated and caring group of volunteers who provide emergency services for us, and an involved police force.