Shelton Democrats name former candidate to vacant alderman seat

SHELTON — Kevin Kosty, who nearly secured a Ward 2 Aldermen seat in the 2021 municipal election, will get a place on the board after all.

The Democratic Town Committee’s Ward 2 Committee and Executive Committee each unanimously tapped Kosty to fill the seat recently vacated by Michele Bialek.

“I am committed to seeing our city be the best community it can be — from our taxes to our roads, public safety and services,” Kosty said. “I do want to acknowledge and thank Alderwoman Bialek for her service to our town and wish her well in the future.”

Kosty has run for the seat several times, coming just 30 votes shy in the last municipal election.

Bialek, a Democrat, earned election in 2021 with 1,385 votes, 143 votes more than her nearest competitor, Republican Eric McPherson. McPherson topped Kosty 1,242 to 1,212.

“Kevin has dedicated himself to critical issues facing Shelton families and is rooted in our downtown Shelton,” said Jimmy Tickey, chair of the DTC Executive Committee.

“I am confident that Kevin will be a thoughtful alderman who is responsive to the needs of constituents throughout the second ward,” Tickey added, “and he will not shy away from asking the tough questions and speaking up on resident’s behalf.”

Kosty said his goal, in the short term, is focusing on what he calls a tough budget season, particularly the Board of Education funding.

“Years of underfunding have left the school system with large class sizes threatening to go over a 30to-1 student-to-teacher ratio in multiple schools and nothing left to cut except for teachers,” Kosty said. “I believe we can build a stronger school system that all Shelton residents can take pride in while still maintaining Shelton’s low taxes.”

Kosty said he will also be focused on downtown parking. He said he has heard about the parking problems not only from people in his ward but also throughout the city.

He added that downtown parking issues have been part of the Shelton Democrats’ platform for many years.

“A private developer has proposed a parking structure, which I believe means our voices calling for change are being heard,” Kosty said. “But providing parking in smaller cities is generally not a lucrative business, so we cannot rely on private investment as a long-term strategy. City government must plan for issues such as parking, affordable housing, and other city development issues before they become problems.”