My name is Rob Hawley, and I am running for a position on the Board of Assessment Appeals. Over the past decade, Newtown has been my home, shared with my wife and daughter.

I am actively engaged in our community as a member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Rose of Lima, Council #185 as well as Assembly #3230.  In addition, I have been a dedicated EMT since 1993 and am a member of the Newtown Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).  In addition to my civic involvement, I enjoy woodworking and started a small business, Rustic Flags and Custom CNC Woodworking. Simultaneously, I am working towards my Private Pilot Certificate and collaborating with my family on the construction of a homebuilt airplane.  Professionally, I have provided security at Sikorsky Aircraft for 37 years in various roles including supervisor, and have been responsible for manpower scheduling and budgeting.  

Drawing inspiration from my wife Tiffany's recent term of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals, I now see an opportunity to serve our town as well by running for office.  During these inflationary times, the citizens of Newtown need to manage their resources as best they can.  If a citizen believes they are being over-taxed, there is a process to rectify that, and I believe that I can help with the determination by reviewing the evidence presented and making a sound decision for both the individual as well as the town.   Nobody likes to pay more than their fair share, but to live in a safe and prosperous community we need to provide the town with the requisite funds to accomplish their mission.

I’m originally from Estonia, a little country in northern Europe, right below Finland. I came to the USA alone when I was 23-years-old as an au-pair, met my husband Anthony a year later, got married and bought a house together in Newtown. For the last 18 years, we have called this beautiful town home and is where we have raised all four of our boys who are now between ages 7-17.

I want to contribute as an American citizen to the well being of the society.  I love Newtown and feel blessed and proud to be a resident of this strong town.  I would help Newtown residents by reviewing their applications, doing in-person property investigations and comparisons, and to work with them regarding property taxes and other inquiries.  I would assist Newtown residents by helping them remedy clerical omissions or mistakes in the assessment of taxes.  My direct experience that will make me an asset as an elected official for the board of Assessment Appeals, comes from my full-time real estate agent work where I routinely compare property statistics every day.  Also, as an experienced “property flipper,” I’m use to managing budgets, time frames and doing research for different products and options around budget concerns. 

My husband and I have been in the real estate business purchasing distressed properties and reselling them, as well as managing both long term and vacation rentals for the past 15 years. While my husband was involved in the construction side, I managed architectural and structural changes being recorded in the building, health, and zoning departments. From this broad experience of managing permits to conferring with inspectors and beyond, I have developed skills in understanding both the homeowner’s point of view and the laws instilled statewide and locally. 

I have been a full-time real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty for 5 years and I’m a member of Northern Fairfield County or Realtors. As a part of my job, I give due diligence to my clients before I either put their house on the market or help a buyer purchase a home. This involves cross checking actual house stats with public records information. If I find any inconsistencies, I advise them on solutions, often requesting permits for buyers and applying for permits for sellers in order to prevent any issues that might cause a sale to completely fall through.

Beyond my professional commitment to the town of Newtown and its residents, I am also personally involved. I am the founder of Newtown Sitters Facebook Group, one of the very first free FB groups available for local families (3,000 FB followers and growing every day).  I have also been very active within the Newtown public schools and loved my time volunteering at Middle Gate Elementary School as a room mom almost every year, in classroom writing centers and at the school library. My work with my church has brought me even closer to this community and the goodness that exists here in spades.