Republican Jason Perillo, who works as a chief marketing officer, is seeking his eighth term representing the 113th District in the state House of Representatives.
What is your reason for seeking election?
I grew up here, and I believe in our community. I’ve observed what Shelton does well and it is very much in stark contrast to the steps that the state has taken. Though I am in the minority in Hartford, my tenure has given me the opportunity to influence policy — particularly policy that directly benefits Shelton. I have been able to secure funding for economic development projects, pass legislation that helps our local farms, and bring millions in school construction funds back to Shelton. This doesn’t happen alone, and I have worked with legislators in Hartford as well as local officials to execute these achievements. Nothing happens in a bubble and I have worked with people from across the spectrum to move things forward for our town.
What areas will you work on to aid the city of Shelton?
Shelton is well-poised to succeed in the next decade. My role is to encourage a business environment in the state that helps — not hinders — Shelton’s economic growth. Additionally, as a legislator I am well-positioned to assist the city, its residents, and local businesses in navigating government-imposed barriers to success. This includes working with agencies that handle everything from unemployment benefits to lampposts. This job brings something new every day and these examples may sound inconsequential, but everything is important to someone.
What are the major issues facing the state in the coming legislative session?
1. The state faces a significant financial crisis due to COVID as well as years of poor financial decisions made by Democrats in the legislature. The legislature and the governor will have to be very careful in crafting a budget that does not burden working families with new taxes and that does not chase businesses out of the state. The state has been down this road before and it has not led to a thriving economy.
2. If we fail to attract new businesses and enact policies that encourage the expansion of existing small businesses, we will struggle to reverse the downward trends in our economy. We can either cut our way out or tax our way out of the state’s budget deficits. We can only grow our way out and we can only do that by becoming an inviting place for people to start new businesses and grow existing ones.
What are three major areas that you plan to focus on if elected?
1. We all realize that COVID-19 has had an impact on the Connecticut economy and has left the state with budget deficits. There will be significant pressure from some legislators to increase taxes in order to bridge the gap. However, with many families struggling due to job loss and businesses having to lay off employees, now is a terrible time to put an additional burden on residents. I will work with like-minded legislators to identify budget cuts and the suspension of spending and new borrowing until the future economic impact of the pandemic subsides.
2. Agriculture and agritourism are important to Connecticut and especially to Shelton. People come here from miles away for pumpkins, apple cider, farm fresh vegetables and more. Shelton’s family farms have a direct positive impact on our quality of life here in town. From enforcing farmers market regulations to changing our state’s arcane liquor laws, I have worked closely with our farmers on a wide variety of issues with the goal of helping them succeed and grow. This is important to Shelton and I will continue to do so.
3. I believe in our downtown merchants, restaurants, and residents and I know that we need to continue to revitalize downtown Shelton. We do that by clearing the path for local property-owners and stepping in when it is appropriate for government to do so. Much of my role is to cut through red tape. I have done that by “working the system” and will continue to do so.
