Retired banker ready to give back to town

SHARON — John Perotti and his wife, Shirley, have lived in Sharon for three decades. But for most of that time, Perotti was off in Lakeville, working at Salisbury Bank and Trust. After he retired in 2009 as the bank’s chairman and CEO, he took a (very) little time for himself and then decided it was time to become a volunteer.He offered his services as a selectman, and won a seat in the November municipal elections, joining incumbent First Selectman Robert Loucks and incumbent Selectman Meg Szalewicz. It was a tight race. Perotti came in only four votes ahead of petitioning candidate Howard Randall. State law mandated a vote recount. After all the ballots and machine votes were tallied for a second time, Perotti still had his four-vote lead and took office.Even during his many years at the bank (where he started as an entry-level employee), Perotti found time to work on regional and town committees and area business associations. He was chairman of the Connecticut Bankers Association and president of the Connecticut Community Bankers Association and has been on building committees for area schools as well as the Housatonic Valley Regional High School 21st Century Fund. He has served on the Sharon Planning and Zoning Commission and was a charter member of Sharon Affordable Housing and its development, Sharon Ridge.Being on the board of selectmen of a Northwest Corner town requires a larger commitment of time and energy, though. “I’m retired now so my day-to-day schedule is more relaxed,” Perotti said. “When I was running the bank, I was on a strict schedule; I had a lot of people I was responsible for. I had to be there always for the customers and shareholders. Now that I’m retired, I can make myself available as needed to do what I feel is important.”Perotti was 61 when he retired in 2009. He is a lifetime Tri-state native, born at Sharon Hospital in 1947 and raised in Amenia.“My wife and I have lived in Sharon for 36 years,” he said. “We raised our children here and I believe it is a very special town.” As a selectman, Perotti hopes to preserve what makes the town tick while making improvements that will help the town thrive as it moves into the 21st century.“The future is important,” he said. “We have to be aware of what we want the town to be, going ahead. We want it to be all that it can be.”The retired banker said he looks forward to being part of a town where so many volunteers have so much to offer.“There are some very astute individuals on the various town commissions, and I consider it an opportunity and privilege to work with them and learn from them,” he said, adding that he hopes to “be able to give something back to the town.”Affordable housing will continue to be a priority for him. State grants are helping pay for an expansion of Sharon Ridge. “They’re going to be able to put in 12 new apartments, which are sorely needed” Perotti said. “There’s been a waiting list since the apartments were first built. When I was involved with establishing Sharon Ridge, it was the first affordable housing project in Connecticut to get a state grant. Now it’s receiving more grant money.”Perotti is also concerned with the continued improvement of the town’s roads, including the unimproved dirt roads. The appearance of town property, specifically the town garage area, is also of concern to the new selectman.“One of the things that needs to be accomplished during the next 24 months is the salt shed area at the town garage,” he said. “Parts of it have corroded. It has suffered from neglect over the years and needs to be refurbished. We have to determine the most cost-effective way to do that.”The next meeting of the Board of Selectmen will be Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. Members of the public are always invited and encouraged to attend.