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10/17/2017 12:00 AMAn East Haven resident for 52 years, Democratic mayoral candidate Sal Maltese owns and operates the South Shore Laundromat on Coe Avenue, and has more than 40 years of accounting, accounts payable, and tax preparation experience, including being a former director of credit services for a large paper mill in Norwich and New Haven.
Maltese, who ran for the seat in 2015 as a Republican on the Independent line, has a ready response to those who question his current political party: “It’s not about party affiliation; it’s about the people of the town.”
He’s raised his family in town, and is involved in several town organizations such as the Rotary, the Historical Society, and the Chamber of Commerce. Maltese was on the Board of Finance from 2011 to 2014, and calls himself a listener.
“I listen,” Maltese said, “I will work with our town council, I will work with our boards and commissions.”
Maltese has previously sought the office as a Republican and as an independent. Some key points of his campaign are public safety, infrastructure, and monitoring the Board of Education (BOE).
While a mayor has no authority over the BOE, which is a state-chartered entity, Maltese said the BOE is a primary concern with a lot of parents in town, so he has pledged that he will be at a BOE meeting once per month to see what’s going on. He said he’ll visit schools as much as possible.
Regarding public safety, Maltese noted that safety responsibility extends beyond police and fire services. He said when treacherous weather happens, like a snowstorm, it’s important for Public Works to act right away to ensure the safety of citizens.
Maltese said he said he sees the town’s infrastructure as outdated, and wants to make sound decisions to get trucks and equipment back in order. He also said he wants to make sure the town conducts adequate paving and sidewalk repair wherever there are problems, adding that he doesn’t want to do these things in an election year just to get elected.
Maltese said he hopes to support senior citizens by enabling more seniors to receive tax relief. He’s also working on a proposal for veterans who are homeowners to see a reduction in their property tax assessments.
Maltese said his background in finance will help tremendously when dealing with budgets. He said he’ll work with state senators and representatives to work out any budget issues and get grants from the state.
“I put it all together, I’ve been doing this for years,” Maltese said, “I know the ins and outs of budgets, I know the ins and outs of financing.”
As far as taxes, Maltese said he plans to keep them as stable as possible. He said initiating staff meetings with supervisors of the various departments will give him the opportunity to know what’s going on in town and what has to be done.
“I am a hands-on person,” Maltese said, “Nobody is going to get shut out at my door.”
Maltese also has plans for economic development. He said he’s going to work very hard to get a shopping plaza in Foxon (next to the Shoprite), adding that filling that plaza and connecting it to the Shoprite plaza would be a tremendous boost to that area of town. Main Street will also be a focus.
“If this west end was fixed up…and we fix up Main Street…just to glorify it more, make it more attractive, you’d be surprised what can happen,” Maltese said.
If elected, Maltese plans to focus on the old high school at 200 Tyler Street, which he said has been empty for 20 years and has cost the town an estimated $5.1 million to maintain over that span with no revenue to show for it.