Meet the Republican Candidates for the Somers Board of Finance

Name: Michael D. Parker, Esq.

Age: 66

Family: Married - Kate owns and operates a nursing home in Massachusetts, with three children - the younger two having been schooled in Somers (both are lawyers working for Brigham and Women’s and Beth Israel Hospitals in Boston. The oldest child is an evening news producer for New England Cable News. 

Office Sought: Board of Finance

Occupation: I have maintained a business practice in Springfield, MA since 1975, specializing in renewable energy development and energy production.

Education: I received a BA from the University of Massachusetts and a law degree from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) in Tacoma, Washington. Law school on the GI Bill.

Government and/or other experience qualifying you for public office: Served in the US Army as a Ranger in the 101st Airborne Division from 1969 to 1974 (Captain Regular Army). Tour of duty in Vietnam. I’ve been a member of the Board of Finance for about 9 years now, maintaining Somers in a solid financial position with only modest increases in the property tax, the Town’s only direct source of revenue.

**** 

Name: Joseph Tolisano

Age: 52 

Office sought: Board of Finance

Occupation:  Chief Information Officer, State University

Education: BS Northeastern University, MBA UMass 

Government and/or other experience qualifying you for public office: Air Force Comptroller & United States Property and Fiscal Officer (Air) 1994-1997.  Responsible for a $45 Million operations and maintenance budget for Air Force fighter wing. Appointed and then elected as Town Selectman serving nearly 5 years in this position. 

As Selectman, Tolisano worked on several key initiatives with his colleagues on the Board of Selectmen to reduce the size and scope of government operations, while maintaining a high  quality of service.   Working with the Selectmen and the directors of the various departments to cut expenses, town government operations returned $250,000 to the general fund in Joe’s first term.  This savings proved to be valuable as  town revenues continued to shrink in this recessionary economy. 

In his next term as selectman, Tolisano focused on reviewing processes and products within each town department.  He saw and urged taking several opportunities for better services and reduced expenditures within town functions.  These included reassigning parks staff to fill needed positions in public works and using a chemical treatment on town roads before snow storms to reduce the snow accumulation and related street clean-up effort in the spring.

Tolisano wants to continue to serve the town and asks your support of his candidacy on the Board of Finance.