SEYMOUR – The two candidates for the town’s top elected office answered questions from high school students during a debate at Seymour Middle School on Wednesday (Oct. 29).
First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis, the Republican incumbent, and Democratic challenger, Selectwoman Theresa Conroy, answered a series of questions written and posed by the high school debate team for 60 minutes.
The event was attended by about 250 people. Jack Betkoski, a former member of the state House of Representatives, District 105, served as moderator.
The debate team created and posed 12 questions to the candidates. Each candidate had two minutes to reply to the questions and then were each given one minute for a rebuttal if necessary.
The students asked the candidates to discuss specific changes or improvements they aim to achieve at the end of a two-year term if elected.
Conroy said she wants to see the redevelopment of the long-vacant, former Housatonic Wire and Seymour Lumber Co. properties off Route 67 near downtown Seymour.
Drugonis said she wants to keep taxes stable, help seniors with tax breaks, and to continue to work with developers to fill properties such as Tri-Town Plaza on Derby Avenue.
One student asked what the candidates would do to make sure grants and other monies received are used effectively to improve the town.
Conroy said the town is without a grant writer, and she’d immediately take it upon herself to identify and go after at least five grant opportunities.
Drugonis said Seymour does have a grant writer on staff. Conroy said she thought the grant writer was part of the former part-time economic development director’s job duties.
“We have a grant writer and got more than $16 million in grants alone over the last year,” Drugonis said.
The candidates were asked about how they would attract new businesses to Seymour and keep existing businesses in town.
Drugonis said she wants to expand tax incentives to attract new business investment. She said her Facebook “Small Business Wednesday” livestreams are good promotions.
Conroy said the town needs to do more. She said there is no full-time economic development director and the town’s economic development commission rarely meets. She said that needs to change.
On the underdeveloped Tri-Town Plaza — a campaign issue during every municipal election — Conroy said it was thriving two decades ago.
“I’ve spoken with Ron Spector (managing partner and lease holder) who said he hasn’t had any communication with the First Selectman’s office for years, and there’s still a secondary lawsuit that’s not resolved yet,” Conroy said, referring to a dispute between the property owners. “I plan on opening up those channels of communication.”
Drugonis said she is in contact with Spector.
“In 2009, Spector was to receive a tax abatement and he promised in 2010 once he received that abatement that he was going to build, and here we are in 2025 and he’s done nothing,” Drugonis said. “I made him fix his unsafe buildings, (and) we’re working with businesses that want to go into Tri-Town.”
The students asked the candidates what they would do with a hypothetical $1 million grant.
Both candidates said they would use it to improve town roads and provide more recreational opportunities.
“It sounds like a lot of money, and it’s not going to go very far, but let’s put it into our roads,” Conroy said. “And second, I want a healthier Seymour and would love to see more outdoor gym equipment, nutritional programs and more trails because we’re all going to be better if we’re healthier.”
Drugonis said road improvement projects are underway.
“One million dollars does not go very far, but I’d put it into our roads, and we’ve already done 13 miles of roads in the last two years,” Drugonis said. “We’d put it toward more things for our younger generation to do and maybe look into buying a piece of property so the kids can ride their quads.”
A student asked how the candidates would help residents, especially senior citizens on fixed incomes, deal with rising taxes. Both Drugonis and Conroy said they’ll work on tax abatements to assist.
During her closing statement, Drugonis asked residents for their support.
“I’m proud of our record in Seymour, 30 new businesses have come here, our roads are getting done, and we are financially stronger than we were in 2020,” Drugonis said. “The ability to show my daughter that women can do anything that they set their mind to, is also what I’m very proud of.”
Conroy said hailing from seven generations of Conroys in Seymour has prepared her for the job.
“Economic development is the key no. 1 driver we have to focus on,” Conroy said. “We need to update our library, it’s a cornerstone for us, same as the community center. I am a go-getter, I know how to plan and reach those goals. I’m invested in this town. I know where we’ve come from, I know where we are now and I know our next chapter is going to be better.”