Stoughton Special Election Candidate Profile: Louis Gitto

STOUGHTON, MA — Stoughton's special town election is June 22. Stoughton Patch asked select board candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Louis Gitto is one of two candidates vying for a seat on the select board. He faces Mark Zamanian in the competition for former Select Board Chair Christine Howe's seat. Her seat became available when she resigned to accept a government job in Idaho.

Learn a little more about Zamanian in the profile Gitto:

Age (as of Election Day)

82

Position Sought

Select Board

Family

Julie Wife, Kathy, Amy, Jane daughters

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

One daughter works in Scituate School System

Education

Engineering degrees: BS Tufts, MS-Harvard

Occupation

retired from US Environmental Protection Agency

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

3 Terms Select Board, 2 Terms Redevelopment Authority, long time town Meeting Representative

Campaign website

Lou Gitto for Select Board on Facebook

Why are you seeking elective office?

Town has not been able to decide to build a fire station that has been known to be in deplorable shape for a decade or more. There are no plans, no location for the station and no funding mechanism. Because of inaction, this project requires action right next to the South School at a time when has Stoughton has been invited by the Massachusetts School Building Authority to likely receive significant State funding if Stoughton also contributes to the cost of a new elementary school. I say "Stoughton is Stuck and I want to UNSTICK Stoughton."

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

We need a fire station, I intend to make sure the citizens understand the problem, that the Select Board and others communicate the problem, the solution (plans,fire station site and funding) to the voters, and that we agree on what is needed and provide the support to get the fire station built without delay.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I'm not afraid to let the voters know what is needed to get projects done. Ideas, and wishes don't get solved by waving a magic wand, they get solved by people agreeing to pay for the projects they say they want.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Well, I have no suggestions.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

The town went through about a 3-4 year process to develop a master plan with hundreds of people participating, describing the downtown as the municipal, social and cultural heart of Stoughton, anchored by restored and re-purposed buildings and served by beautiful public gathering spaces ... including a "Great Lawn" where the current postal vehicles are parked in the center of an important downtown block anchored by the historic train station. I support the Master Plan vision - because I believe the buildings on Wyman, Washington and Porter Streets surrounding this green space could be restaurants and other commercial uses that could front on this great lawn, that the rear of the post office could be used for music and live stage performances and art space fronting on the green as well - creating the public gathering space in the Master Plan vision. My opponent, believes we should increase building heights to 6 stories from the current 4 stories, including putting these 6-story buildings in the Great Lawn area and pointing to the fenced off church green as having sufficient green space for Stoughton Center.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My almost 50 years service to Stoughton in many capacities - those noted above and others including Planning Board and Finance Committee member and many others.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

No one can take your education from you. I'm a lifelong learner. If I raise a problem, I also research the issue, provide supporting data and a proposed solution.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I believe that people make good decisions when they are given good information. o[pen, mature conversations are necessary. We have seen a lot of other communications, which I find destructive, divisive, and unlikely to get good lasting results.