Masuk Free Press

After six years of serving in office, Monroe First Selectman Ken Kellogg announced that he will not be running for a fourth term. Soon after, Board of Education member Jerry Stevens announced his campaign for the seat of First Selectman. Twelve days after Stevens’ announcement, Town Councilman Terry Rooney also threw his hat into the election ring. As Election Day (Nov. 7) inches closer and closer, citizens of Masuk are faced with the difficult decision of who to support and, more importantly, who to vote for.

Candidate Profile: Terry Rooney

Prior to Terry Rooney’s career in politics, when gunshots were heard it would be Rooney running towards the crime scene. Having a longstanding career as a police officer in Bridgeport, he faced the dangers of his career head-on, often putting his life on the line.

“I won many awards as a cop, including the Courage of Connecticut award,” said Rooney. “That was probably 1994, for apprehending a man who had kidnapped a child with a fully automatic firearm. And we successfully found him and brought him to justice.” 

Eventually, his bravery caught up to him. After 12 years of work, Rooney was forced to retire from police work after receiving a back injury while chasing a suspect.

“I retired from law enforcement on a spinal injury. I was dragged by a car during a foot chase after a shooting. It was a very, very traumatic thing that I went through. And I stayed on the job for probably two more years after that, trying to continue to rehabilitate myself. It just got to the point where I could hardly walk after that injury,” said Rooney.

Rooney’s career in politics began purely by chance. Rooney was marching in the annual Memorial Day parade on Elm Street in support of Debra Lee Hovey, a House of Representatives member for Connecticut and friend of Rooney.

“I had a lot of support from the community during that parade, and they said, ‘Maybe you should get involved,’” said Rooney.

Although originally uninterested, he soon received a call regarding an open position on the Lake Zoar Authority. From there, Rooney moved on to Monroe Parks and Recreation, and  was then given a seat on Monroe’s Town Council.

After Kellog announced his decision to not pursue another term, Rooney, having been part of Monroe’s Republican Party for years, saw it as the next step to take in his career.

Rooney views all of his policy through the lens of how it will affect the citizens of Monroe. He recognizes how prices for goods and services are rising throughout the nation and how inflation is negatively impacting everyone.

“I can help every home in this town taxwise. Help them be able to afford other things. It’s a difficult task right with inflation being what it is,” said Rooney.

And most importantly, Rooney wants to tackle the issue of taxes: “Everything policy-wise is always going to be around the taxpayer first.”

Another policy concern of Rooney’s is balancing the development of Monroe while still keeping it a semi-rural farm town. Development can aid our local economy and alleviate the aforementioned issues, but there is argument it takes away from the small town culture that Monroe is known for.

“I don’t know if there’s any other way to keep taxes in check. You know goods and services go up in people’s homes; it goes up in the town, it goes up in the schools. There’s no way to combat that,” said Rooney. “People are still only making what they make. Some people get raises, but many don’t. The only way to offset the taxes is to develop reasonably, some more commercial buildings to build the grand list. But I don’t love it, so we have to be very, very careful.” 

With deep roots in the town of Monroe, it is not difficult to find adamant supporters of Rooney.

“I was stuck in Newtown; my truck broke down, and a man that I never saw before in my entire life, came across the street and said, ‘What is your problem, how could I help you?’ [Rooney] was the man and he has my vote, and I will support him in everything that he does,” stated Monroe resident William Garvey.

Garvey said, “If this man is willing to walk across the street and help a stranger, I’m inclined to think he’d be willing to help the population of Monroe.”

With his lengthy history in public service, politics and helping citizens of Monroe, Rooney seems confident in his ability to lead, but only time will tell who Monroe’s next Selectman will be.