​Greg's website is up!!

Elect Greg Howard

My favorite page, "meet Greg," where you can get to know our neighbor, if you are one of the few people in town who hasn't.

He's been coaching and helping our community for well over a decade, and we are fortunate he is serving us in Hartford as well.
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Take a minute and get to know our own Greg Howard, and let's all work to keep his voice for Pawcatuck, Stonington, North Stonington, and now Ledyard as well!

The cost of heating your home
Earlier this summer, I, along with my Republican colleagues raised concerns about the real-life financial pressure state residents would experience this fall as they faced the skyrocketing expense of heating their homes. We proposed a plan to use some of the state's significant surplus funds to provide additional home heating assistance to those who would need it. Our plan fell on deaf ears. Our concern on this subject continues as the legislature grapples with the reality that one-time federal funding for people who rely on the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program has evaporated. 
I want you to know that there's a public hearing Monday 08/29/2022 that will provide you the opportunity to share your concerns about this topic either in person (via Zoom) or by submitting written testimony. Because I serve on the Legislature's Joint Committee on Appropriations, I will be a panelist to Monday's testimony, with the prerogative to ask questions and possibly extend selected individual's testimony for topics requiring further elaboration. Please copy me in advance with your submission if you feel your testimony will be of unique benefit to the Committee.
I hope you'll consider participating by telling state lawmakers about how rising home heating costs will impact you and your family members.

 
Here's how to participate:
FFY 23 Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Allocation Plan
Proposed Amendment to the FFY 23 Low Income Household Water
Assistance Program Grant Allocation Plan


The Appropriations, Energy and Technology and Human Services Committees will hold a joint public hearing, followed by committee meetings, on Monday, August 29, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. The public hearing can be viewed via YouTube Live. In addition, the public hearing may be recorded and broadcast live on CT-N.com. Individuals who wish to testify via Zoom must register using the On-line Testimony Registration Form.
Registration will close on Friday, August 26, 2022, at 3:00 PM. Speaker order
of approved registrants will be listed in a randomized order and posted on the
Appropriations Committee website on Friday, August 26, 2022, at 5:00 PM
under Public Hearing Testimony. If you do not have internet access, you may
provide testimony via telephone. To register to testify by phone, call the Phone Registrant Line at 860-240-0033 to leave your contact information.
Please email written testimony in Word or PDF format to each committee at
the following email addresses: 
APPTestimony@cga.ct.gov; ETTestimony@cga.ct.gov; 
HSTestimony@cga.ct.gov.
The Committees request that testimony be limited to matters related to the item on the agenda. The first hour of the hearing is reserved for state agency representatives. Public speakers will be limited to three minutes of testimony. The Committee encourages witnesses to submit a written statement and to condense oral testimony to a summary of that statement. All public hearing testimony, written and spoken, is public information. As such, it will be made available on the CGA website and indexed by internet search engines. Committee meetings will be held immediately following the public hearing to act on the allocation plan.

Sincerely,

State Rep. Greg Howard, 43rd District
Please do not hesitate to contact me regarding any state or local issue. I can be reached at 800-842-1423 or email Greg.Howard@housegop.ct.gov.

Dear Friends and Neighbors, 
Over the last year or so, the citizens of Connecticut have seen the prices of everyday goods dramatically rise.

In economic circles this is known as inflation, and is caused by many factors including supply, demand, costs of goods sold, and that to get the product to its final destination. Many products are transported by diesel power trucks and of course the dramatic increase in fuel prices over the last year has caused inflation … such that many people (especially those on a fixed income) are unable to afford everyday goods and services.

In response, what has the majority party and Governor Lamont done? They have RAISED the tax on diesel fuel! Yes folks, starting today, the State of Connecticut will have increased the diesel fuel tax by 23% (9.1 cents per gallon) on top of the already 29 cents per gallon being charged.

In anticipation of this higher tax, during debate on the state budget package I, along with my colleagues Republicans called an amendment that among other things would have stopped this unnecessary and harmful increase. Since the end of the regular session, we have continued to call for a special session to specifically address this issue. Unfortunately, our calls for action have been ignored. 
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The obvious result? The rising cost of diesel fuel will most definitely drive inflation even higher than it presently is!
I will continue my fight for lower taxes for Connecticut families. 

As always, please contact me should you have any questions or concerns on any topics relating to state government at Greg.Howard@housegop.ct.gov or at (800) 842-1423.
Sincerely,
​Greg Howard

SUMMER 2022
RELIEF FOR WORKING MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES

 CONNECTICUT FAMILIES NEED RELIEF

Thanks Greg Howard for your continued hard work

Connecticut is unaffordable and growing more unaffordable by the day. At the same time, Connecticut is overtaxing its residents. While state revenues surge because of inflation, household budgets are strained to the breaking point. We believe the overtaxation of state residents must be returned to taxpayers.

During the 2022 legislative session, we proposed a $1.2 billion tax relief plan that would have provided immediate, significant, and long-term tax relief to Connecticut's working- and middle-class families facing historic inflation.

Democrats voted against this tax relief package during the regular legislative session, instead opting for only short term rebates for a select few. Meanwhile, the pain has not stopped for Stonington & North Stonington families.

Since the state budget adjustment passed, state revenues have grown even further. As government gets richer, families are only experiencing more pain. They need further relief.

Read the plan for yourself:

​​https://www.affordableconnecticut.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Affordable-Connecticut-June-2022-CT-Senate-House-GOP.pdf

Since moving to Mystic seven years ago, I’ve said that our town is magical.  Now, with Matt and me living in Pawcatuck, I’m truly in love with Stonington.  Everywhere I turn there is another neighbor doing their part to make our town better, and another chance to serve the community.  I knew I needed to be part of that.
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In 2009, I convinced my husband to reboot his grandfather’s business, Mystic Knotwork.  I’ve been leading the team day to day for over 10 years and manage the cash flow that keeps the business growing and contributing to the community.


Our iconic knot business has won numerous awards, including:

• 2020 SBA Connecticut Small Business of the Year
• 2017 Eastern Chamber Small Business of the Year
• 2015 SCORE Small Business Champion for Connecticut
• 2014 Martha Stewart American Made Heritage Award

 
I’ve helped raise money for Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Research every year I’ve lived in town, I’ve worked with the Ocean Chamber and Mystic Chamber to help our fellow small businesses.  During our own  COVID-19  shutdown last year, we used the energy of that stressful time to raise $1,000 for the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center.  It was a highlight of last year, if there can be such a thing, to be blessed enough to give back last May. I’m serving on the Board of Directors for the Downtown Mystic Merchant’s Association and help with numerous activities there.

I've donated so many raffle prizes to all the schools and organizations in the area that I can't list them all, but we are proud to sponsor the Como and the Stonington Crew. It is such a great feeling to be able to help out in any way we can.

When I think about the responsibility of Treasurer, I realize that it’s a responsibility to keep a final check on spending.  Because Glenn Frishman, Lynn Young, and Faith Leitner are so conscientious and detail oriented, finding errors will likely be limited. I’ve seen the work they all do, and feel the stipend paid to the Treasurer should be reinvested into also helping the town.  So, I pledge to donate that salary to the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center and other charities to help our neighbors through rough patches.  I’ll keep a sharp eye open to protect our treasury, and I’ll continue giving back in other ways.
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Please vote Jill Beaudoin for Treasurer Nov 2

​Hi.  My name is Faith Leitner and I’m running for the Board of Finance. Stonington has been home for nearly 40 years. My husband and I have been married 36 years and we raised two wonderful daughters who attended Stonington schools. I care deeply about what happens here and how our town is managed.

I graduated from Colorado State University more years ago than I care to remember and studied resource management and music. I started playing concert harps when I was seven, so music won out and I’ve been a working musician ever since. However, I grew up in a fiscally common sense household where I was taught the value of living within your means and that’s how I manage my finances to this day.

My dear late parents set another example. They both believed in contributing to the communities they lived in and did so through public service. That rubbed off on me so I served for two terms on the Stonington Board of Education from 2008 to 2017. I chaired the BOE’s finance committee for three years and was the board Secretary for two years during each term.

I want to continue to serve all the people of Stonington. I’m a realist and know you can’t please everyone all the time, but if I’m elected I will do my utmost to listen to all sides and make the most responsible decisions that benefit Stonington and make the most sense.
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Election Day is Tuesday, November 2, 2021. I would appreciate your vote.    

​As we approach our upcoming Election Day on November 2nd 2021, I wanted to make a direct appeal to the voters seeking your support.

I have had the honor to serve you on your Board of Finance for the past 27 years, and Chaired this Board for 18 of those years. Seeing this Board go from an appointed to an elected one, Stonington has benefitted from the Triple A Bond Rating these Boards have worked so hard to maintain. I have been committed to ensuring the maximal bang for the buck, and have been unwavering in ensuring that fiduciary responsibility from the Department Heads serving our community is demanded.

I chose to run for Re election as I fear an inflationary recession could be on the horizon. As a Grandparent of triplets, I know the pain at the gas pump we are all encountering, and the increased cost the supermarket visit makes. These pressures on Stonington families no doubt will make tax dollars needing to be reviewed increasingly closely. I have never shirked my duty to you to ask the difficult questions, and as an adult who transitioned from active military service to return to my native Stonington in the late 1970s in equally troubled economic times, have the experience to protect the individual taxpayer and our community. I have never forgotten the lessons learned in those difficult times. I am prepared to use them to negotiate these difficult days and inflation.

Always whether friend or no, I have ensured that money allocated for town is vetted thoroughly. Those that take that path often can become considered unpopular and controversial. I pledge to you that appointed or elected I will present a thoroughly vetted budget for your approval. Never seeking unnecessary tax funds that, I fear, will be increasingly scarce as we collectively recover from the Covid 19 Pandemic. Our town must spend and plan wisely for an uncertain fiscal future fraught with potential peril. I am committed to protecting the individual household as I am the town. We are all in this together.

This candidate is not afraid to take tough stands on issues. Recently I was not in line with my party leadership in my opposition to the Fixed Tax Assessment for the Campbell Grain Mill. I saw that as not worthy of town financial subsidy and saw my fiduciary role trumping party loyalty. I applaud the informed taxpayers of Stonington for demanding their voices be heard. My stances always dictated on what I truly believe is best for our town and never forgetting those tax funds are precious to those raising families and on fixed incomes.

In my next four years I will seek to drive these following issues in Stonington to successful resolution. I believe they are priorities that will put the future of our town on a path that will keep it the special community that it is.

1. There is an issue with the Pawcatuck Water loop that must be fixed. Water pressure has to be uniform throughout a Fire District to ensure our fire services can fight fires and protect lives and property. I have worked closely with Pawcatuck Fire Chief Kevin Burns to address this town risk management issue that ethically I refuse to ignore. Our homeowners and business owners in this village need this issue addressed.
2.  The Old Mystic Bridge has been closed far too long. Like Pawcatuck this infrastructure deficiency is unacceptable.It puts brave volunteer firefighters at risk and I have given my word to Old Mystic Fire Chief Ken Richards that we will get this long overdue project completed. This needs to get done.
3.  Coastal Resiliency is a controversial issue but I see an opportunity to put an emphasis to repair the flood gates in Pawcatuck, and study and likely acquire this infrastructure in Mystic and Stonington Borough. While we can disagree on degrees of climate change, we can find common ground on preparing for Hurricane threats. This is expenditure with a clear return on investment as it protects our Grand List. I look forward to working bipartisanly to address.
4.  We need to insure we fund our schools adequately to ensure our kids have an education that allows them to compete in the modern job market. Although I have always held the hard fiscal line, I have never not supported needed school projects based in need and maintaining our Grand List. Based on needs and affordable wants, we have maintained great schools for our kids AND a low tax rate by regional comparison.

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As always I am willing to listen and weigh all opinion. I am not ashamed to say I am a fiscal conservative. My record shows I always put Stonington first, care deeply about our working families and seniors. I'm eager to advocate for these needs and humbly ask for the honor of your vote.