This election season we are getting to know more about the role each person plays in our local government.
Thanks to the two recent mayoral debates, we got to hear from incumbent Mayor Laura Hoydick, and Democratic candidate, Dr. David Chess. But what does a councilman/woman do in their elected office?
On our town website, there isn’t great detail about what their responsibilities are. In Groton, it is clear what the elected town council members do. In Milford, you will find much of the same on their website, however they have an Alderman who represents a 15-member group of individuals tasked with the same responsibilities as a typical council would be. In Bridgeport, they have more robust details of the roles, values, and responsibilities of their City Council members.
What does a Town Council person do, exactly? In short, they ensure that the needs/concerns of those who live in their district are heard, and ordinances are passed and supported that take into account their concerns and interests.
In a Town Council Meeting, which is open to the public and takes place on the second Monday of the month at Town Hall, Chris Green, Town Councilman for District 2 asked pointed questions during the May 29, 2025 Town Council Meeting about discrepancies in the grand list summary, and a drop noted in personal property exemptions for businesses.
This is when and where the question of both the drop in funds per the grand list and how $58 million were lost in taxes owed to the town.
The Stratford Crier spoke with Ben Barnes, former Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management who was responsible for an $18 billion annual operating budget, and is currently serving as the Treasurer for Dr. David Chess’s mayoral campaign. He says, “It is the job of the tax assessor to discover and list property and apply the law.”
Since 2017, our town has had a new tax assessor. Currently, Katherine R. Stauffer, CCMC, is our town tax assessor and the person who discovered the tax error as it relates to the grand list. According to Barnes,“Tax paper never changed. They should have levied the business personal property tax, but they did not.”
Chris Green has lived in Stratford with his family since 2018. He is a graduate of Harvard University, and his wife teaches at Flood Middle School.
You can learn more about the Republican Town Committee candidates here and the Democratic Town Committee candidates here. Don’t forget, early voting continues through November 2nd, and Election Day is November 4th. Your voice matters!
