Independent Mayoral candidate John Theriault

I am the Independent Party's candidate for Mayor of Waterbury and I appreciate the opportunity

John Theriault to introduce myself to you and to present my credentials to be your next Mayor.

I'm a lifelong resident of Waterbury and a graduate of Wilby High School. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management at the University of New Haven and a Master of Arts degree in Education from Southern Connecticut State University. I also earned a 6th Year degree in Administra- tion and Supervision and completed advanced courses in Urban Studies.

In 1969, I left Pratt & Whitney and entered the educational system. I became a principal in 1975 and gained experience at the elementary, middle and high school levels. In 2001, I retired and was elected to the Board of Education. I was re-elected to the Board of Education in 2007.

I spent 28 of my 32 years in education as a teacher and principal in the South End of Waterbury. During that time, I was an active advocate for the Hispanic Community - demanding fair and equitable treatment and encouraging Hispanic involvement in government at the state and local levels.

I was also at the forefront in opposition to the First Light project and spent five days at the Capitol, at my personal expense, representing South End residents. To that effect, I sought support for the community from Congressional and State representatives, and from the NAACP leadership.

I am now running for Mayor of Waterbury, and like many of you, I am deeply concerned about the condition of our city.

We have the highest unemployment rate in Connecticut and in the past eight years, twenty-fivebusinesses and 1,500 jobs have left Waterbury. During the same period, we've seen our property tax rates double, triple and then quadruple.

How did we get into this mess? One clue was offered by the Waterbury Observer, recently commenting on Mayor Jarjura's real estate activities: "During interviews…in the last eight years we have probed into the subject of his private development projects several times and he doesn't seem to recognize or acknowledge

that many people in Waterbury are troubled by his actions. … people wonder who he is serving - the taxpayers, or his bottom line."

For eight years, Mike Jarjura has failed the citizens of Waterbury. One sad example of his self-centered priorities and lack of commitment to our city is his sale of personal real estate holdings in Waterbury and development of a $12 million office complex in Middlebury called Middlebury Edge. Incredibly, he has no problem with the fact that many of his tenants are businesses that moved from Waterbury!

To add insult to injury, he then authorized the paving of Park Road from West Main Street to Straits Turnpike in Middlebury - the exact location of his office park, Middlebury Edge, while many roads in Waterbury have gone unpaved for twenty years!

The taxpayers of Waterbury are paying Mike Jarjura a salary to manage our city. We have put our trust in him and he has betrayed that trust, blatantly, for eight years.

His promises are empty, his excuses are many and his attention is obviously on personal gain. Surely, it's time for us all to wake-up.

I respectfully ask you to vote for me to be the next Mayor of Waterbury..
Thank you,
John E. Theriault