The town of Poncha Springs is preparing for its municipal elections on April 2, with eight candidates running for three trustee positions. Mayor Ben Scanga is running unopposed for reelection. Each new trustee and the mayor will serve a four-year term of office expiring in 2028.
Ark Valley Voice has asked each trustee candidate to answer questions related to their qualifications for the position they seek. This week, as each candidate answers the questions, we’ll publish their answers.
Paul Brackman responded to our candidate survey questions on Monday morning:
Paul Brackman is running for election to Poncha Springs Board of Trustees. Courtesy photo.
What are your strongest qualifications to be a steward of the town?
“My qualifications for the position of Poncha Springs Trustee include strong leadership, clear communication, unwavering ethical integrity, and deep empathy. My decade in school administration has allowed me to hone my ability to inspire, collaborate, and make principled decisions while prioritizing community welfare. I believe that transparent communication fosters trust and inclusivity and ensures that all voices can be heard. I feel that it is important to uphold the highest ethical standards with a focus on fairness and justice. Above all, my love of human beings fosters in me an empathy that drives me to understand and address the diverse needs of Poncha Springs residents while striving for equitable outcomes and fostering a thriving, compassionate community.”
What do you most disagree with that the Trustees have done over the last three years?
“I don’t know of anything specific that the trustees have done in the last three years that I could find fault with. It has been my experience that the governing body for the town of Poncha Springs has done an excellent job of trying to meet the rapidly changing needs of our growing community. Those who have willingly given their time as civil servants for our community should be commended for their efforts.”
What have you done to prepare for the role? (Gone to meetings, looked at the budget, met with the mayor/sitting trustees etc.)
“I have attended a briefing meeting that was facilitated by the town of Poncha Springs on behalf of all candidates. During this meeting, I was updated on the current issues that the town needs to address. I have also spoken with currently sitting town trustees to develop an understanding of their role and responsibilities.”
What do you think of the town’s response to residents’ requests for information and its website? Could it be improved?
“I have noticed that the town website has not been updated regularly. I currently sit on my homeowners’ association (HOA) board as the secretary and manage our HOA website. I am also aware that the town of Poncha Springs is very aware that they need to update their website more regularly. This is a responsibility that I could help out with.”
If you had to pick just one single thing, what’s the one characteristic of yourself that will make you the strongest candidate for the trustee role?
“I am very open-minded and inclusive in my decision-making process. I have lived in foreign cultures for over 15 years of my career and have learned that there is more than one way to skin a cat, and local community people usually have a better idea of what their needs are than leadership and management.”
Consider the situation with the man who has positioned himself in Salida standing on F Street with an assault weapon every Sunday for months. Are you aware of Salida City Council’s response/what did you think of it? If a similar situation occurred in Poncha Springs how should the Trustees respond or what do you see as their responsibility to respond?
“I am pretty certain that the town of Salida couldn’t do anything other than what they did do. State and federal law allows people to openly carry weapons and as long as that’s the law, then we are bound by it.”
Consider a situation where you had to approach people with different perspectives for support or cooperation. What would you do? What steps would you take to eliminate bias from your behaviors and decisions?
“I thrive on interacting with people who are different from me. These are the people that I have the propensity to learn the most from. The people that are like me are like me and I already know what they’re thinking and how they operate; that’s nothing new.”
How would you go about getting community input on decisions, beyond just public comment during meetings or your personal friends?
“I am a school teacher at Salida High School as well as a server at High Side Bar and Grill. I am regularly out in the community and available for anybody who wants to chat. If necessary, I am willing to meet with anyone outside of my regular required hours as a Poncha Springs Trustee, who has issues that they would like me to consider.”
Child care is a major issue for working families across this county. Given what happened at The School House with charges (later all dropped) against those who ran The School House, why would anyone want to start a childcare business and what could you do to encourage more childcare in Poncha Springs?
“It certainly does seem that it would be a risky endeavor for a business person to start a childcare facility in Poncha Springs in the wake of what happened last year. It seems that there must be a way that the town of Poncha Springs could help assure those that want to start a child care facility in town that we would want to work with them to ensure their success.”
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