Gary Lafferty is seeking his first term on the Town Council.   He served on the Watertown Police Commission, Cablevision Advisory Committee, Park and Recreation Commission, and was a Town Constable.  He is on the Board of Watertown’s Land Trust and the Board of the Police Commissioners Association of Connecticut.  

 

Gary was a member of the Watertown Fire Dept for over 40 years, and held the ranks of Lieutenant and Captain.   He also served on the Fire House Building Committee. 

 

Gary is a recipient of the Rotary Club’s Alexander L. Alves award for community service.   He was Troop 52’s Cubmaster for 10 years and is a Committee Member.  He is a member of the Pioneer Club, which was instrumental in building the Sandy Hook playground, dedicated to Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, at Veterans Park.   Gary is a volunteer for Give 2 The Troops, which collects items to send to our Troops overseas. 

 

Gary wants to see more budget accountability . He supports smart development to generate more tax dollars, improve the Town’s appearance, and protect citizens’ investments in their homes.

 

Gary is employed by Frontier Communications. He attended Watertown schools and Waterbury State Technical College.  A life-long resident of Watertown, he is the father of four grown children: Jennifer, Gary, Christopher, and David.

James Gambardella is pursuing his first term on the Town Council.  Jim previously served

on our Board of Education and the Commission on Aging.  He is a member of St. Mary Magdalen’s church choir.

 

A career educator, Jim is a Vice Principal and teacher at St. John the Evangelist School.  He was an adjunct faculty member at Central Connecticut State University for 30 years.  He is a former teacher and Principal at St. Peter and Paul School in Waterbury.

 

Jim received his B.A in Geography from Central Connecticut State College and his Master’s degree from the University of Vermont.  Jim and his wife, Laurine have resided in Watertown for 21 years, and are the parents of Matthew, Liana, Sara and Alyssa.

When elected to the Town Council, Jim wants to cultivate a supportive business environment that encourages smart development.  He wants to foster a family-friendly quality of life in Watertown.  He believes in honest, fair, and inclusive government that does not cater to select interests.

Denise Russ previously served on both the Town Council and Board of Education.  She is seeking another term on the Town Council.

 

Denise currently serves on the Watertown Housing Authority Commission and Cablevision Advisory Committee.  She is also a former Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee. 

Denise is a Bingo volunteer at the Senior Center.  She is also a volunteer at the Book Nook and was a Fall Festival volunteer for several years.

 

Denise and her husband Ron raised their two sons, Jamie and Gregory, in Watertown.  They have lived here for 49 years.  Denise worked at the Greater Watertown Federal Credit Union for 22 years and at Crystal Rock until her retirement.

 

Denise is passionate about Oakville-Watertown and wants to make certain it is a wonderful place to raise families and fulfill the needs of our seniors.  She wants to ensure the Town has qualified employees who have the skills required for their positions.  She plans to keep a close eye on spending to keep our taxes low.

Lou Esposito is seeking a second term on the Town Council.  He currently serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission. 

 

 

Lou is a member of the Fall Festival Committee and the President of the Lega Siciliana Social Club.  He previously volunteered as a Youth Basketball Coach.

Lou, a widower with 2 children, has lived in Watertown for 43 years.   He attended Quinnipiac College before starting his businesses, Advanced Audio Video and J&L Stereo, which he managed until his retirement.

When elected to the Town Council, Lou wants to focus on problem solving with our Seniors and addressing their issues.  He wants to increase our tax base by building a business-friendly environment in Watertown.

Brandon Emerick is a Clean Energy Consultant for Common Energy, where he saves homeowners and organizations money with solar energy. 

 

Brandon is the youngest member of the Watertown Lions Club, and founder of the Watertown CT Young Adults group, our first recreation group for ages 18-29.  He also founded the Sustainable Living Group, where members learn about sustainability and social innovation. 

 

Brandon grew up in Town and attended Watertown schools.  He graduated from Kaynor Tech as his class salutatorian.  He is a former UCONN Honors Cognitive Science student who did a TEDx Talk on Motivation Science which was featured on TEDx’s YouTube channel. He is a Business Management student at Western Governors University.

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Brandon’s focus is on creative ways to reduce taxes and help our environment.  He will cut expenses through investments in solar energy and energy efficiency, funded by Sustainable CT.  He will pursue funding from socially and environmentally responsible businesses in exchange for product advertising. He believes improved processes and investments in Watertown can provide tax relief to homeowners.