The major party candidates for Mayor of New Britain, the Democratic candidate, Rep Bobby Sanchez (D-25) and the Republican, Ald Sharon Beloin-Saavedra (R-1) debated ahead of the November city elections.
The debate was held at the New Britain Public Library, and was moderated by Capitol Reporter Robert Storace of the CT Examiner, which sponsored the debate.
The candidates debated various issues, including education, property taxes and housing.
Asked what each candidates’ most important issue is, Sanchez said cutting taxes, restructuring the middle schools and addressing speeding and crime – adding the importance of the future and who will make life better for people in New Britain.
Beloin-Saavedra said her most important issue is cutting taxes.
Sanchez, however, challenged Beloin-Saavedra on taxes, noting that she increased taxes twice. Beloin-Saavedra has been a member of the City Council, which votes on the city tax rate, for several recent terms.
Beloin-Saavedra accused the state of underfunding education, such as special education and the ECS formula.
But Sanchez, who was the Education Chair in the state legislature, discussed the large increases in state education aid to New Britain, including changes won in the ECS formula that are rapidly increasing school aid to the city. He also pointed out that the state has been funding 95% of recent school projects.
Sanchez added that it is the city that has been flat funding education.
Beloin-Saavedra denied this, but Sanchez responded that city hall has flat funded education and that has hurt the city’s schools.
Sanchez said that New Britain is 168 of 169 cities and towns in funding education, and said that, as mayor, he would prioritize education funding.
On a question about affordable housing, Beloin-Saavedra said that the city is ahead on housing affordability. She added that regionalization is needed.
However Sanchez challenged that there are a lot of unhoused people in New Britain, adding that a lot of people cannot afford $1400 a month in rent. He said the city does not have enough affordable housing.
Asked about blighted buildings in the city, Beloin-Saavedra said that the city has a committee on blight and that citizens should tell the city about problems.
Sanchez said that there is too much emphasis in city policy on downtown, leaving neighborhoods ignored, such as flooding in the Allen Street neighborhood.
Asked about homelessness, Beloin-Saavedra said that no one city is going to solve homelessness and that homelessness among children is a statewide issue.
Sanchez criticized the unmet need for warming centers in the city, adding that numerous homeless people die in New Britain – saying that is not right.
Sanchez won a cheer from the crowd when he challenged Beloin-Saavedra on her having switched from being a Democrat to joining the Republican Party of President Donald Trump (R).
