Community Corner
Meet Sandra Russo-Driska, Republican Common Council Hopeful
This 30-year Middletown town clerk says keeping taxes from rising, especially for older citizens, while increasing the tax base, is vital for the city's economic success.
Middletown Patch is beginning a new meet-the-candidates series that allows voters to learn a little bit about the men and women running for public office this November.
Republican Sandra Russo-Driska, 46, was nominated by her party to run for Middletown Common Council.
Education: Becker College, Worcester, Mass., associate's degree in paralegal studies
Employment: City of Middletown, City and Town Clerk July 1996 to July 2013. City of Middletown, Assistant Town Clerk 1993 to 1996. Owner Sandra James Boutique, Middletown, Sept. 4 to present
Why are you running? I want to hold public office because my entire life has been serving the citizens of Middletown. My two children, TJ, 19 and Meghan, 17, were born, raised and educated here as I was and I want to be sure that the next generation of our children have a Middletown they can be proud of. I bring a vast amount of experience on both the administrative side in understanding how our municipal government works its budgets, bonding and law-making and I understand the citizens and their concerns because I have served them for more than 30 years in the Town Clerk's office.
What is Middletown's most pressing issue? Holding the line on taxes, especially for senior citizens by controlling spending and the amount of bonding we enter into to. Our tax base needs to be built with industrial-type businesses that help build a tax base that can help us achieve this goal by bringing in more taxes to our general fund.
What do you love most about Middletown? The people. I have had the opportunity to meet and deal with so many wonderful people having been born, raised, educated, as well as choosing to live and work here!
What is your favorite thing to do for fun? Ride with my husband Bruce [Driska, Middletown Emergency Management director] on our Harley Davidson to the Berkshires and Newport, R.I. I also love the sun and beach, attending concerts and seeing movies, traveling and spending time at home with my kids, family, friends and three pets!
How can voters reached you? Email me at Srusso1021@yahoo.com.
Education: Becker College, Worcester, Mass., associate's degree in paralegal studies
Employment: City of Middletown, City and Town Clerk July 1996 to July 2013. City of Middletown, Assistant Town Clerk 1993 to 1996. Owner Sandra James Boutique, Middletown, Sept. 4 to present
Why are you running? I want to hold public office because my entire life has been serving the citizens of Middletown. My two children, TJ, 19 and Meghan, 17, were born, raised and educated here as I was and I want to be sure that the next generation of our children have a Middletown they can be proud of. I bring a vast amount of experience on both the administrative side in understanding how our municipal government works its budgets, bonding and law-making and I understand the citizens and their concerns because I have served them for more than 30 years in the Town Clerk's office.
What is Middletown's most pressing issue? Holding the line on taxes, especially for senior citizens by controlling spending and the amount of bonding we enter into to. Our tax base needs to be built with industrial-type businesses that help build a tax base that can help us achieve this goal by bringing in more taxes to our general fund.
What do you love most about Middletown? The people. I have had the opportunity to meet and deal with so many wonderful people having been born, raised, educated, as well as choosing to live and work here!
What is your favorite thing to do for fun? Ride with my husband Bruce [Driska, Middletown Emergency Management director] on our Harley Davidson to the Berkshires and Newport, R.I. I also love the sun and beach, attending concerts and seeing movies, traveling and spending time at home with my kids, family, friends and three pets!
How can voters reached you? Email me at Srusso1021@yahoo.com.
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