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Brad Macdowall

Running for Councilman

4 CTNewsJunkie Reader Endorsements

Party: Democrat

CEP Status:

Website: BradforCouncil.com

Age: 24

Marital Status: Single

Current Residence: Hamden

Current Job: Political Consultant

Previous Job: Asst Clerk at Finance Committee, CT General Assembly

Previous Job: Risk Analyst at Town of Hamden

Education: BA in Political Science

Why are you running for this office?
I have lived in Hamden all my life. I love this town, and I want to bring it back to the prosperous town I know it can be.
What is the most pressing local issue facing your community and how would you solve it (within the capacity of the office for which you are running)?
It is an understatement to say that taxes in Hamden have become overwhelmingly high. When we start losing neighbors because they can no longer afford to put more away each month for their taxes than their rent or mortgage, it's clear we have a big issue. I have a lot of experience with budgetary matters, and I know I can be a part of getting things back in check.
With the state's ongoing budget crisis looming over the election, what are your plans for your community's budget? Is there anything you can do make your town less dependent on revenue from the state?
We need to make sure our government is working as efficiently and as effectively as possible. By going line-by-line through the budget and looking into each item, we can make sure we are only spending what we need to. Let's cut the redundancies and build a Hamden that works better for everyone.
The legislature has been debating various ideas to allow towns to raise revenue locally through something other than property taxes. If you could ease your residents' property tax burden by adding another method of taxation, is there anything you might consider for your town?
As far as I am concerned, any additional taxation here in Hamden is off the table. we cannot continue to kick the can back at taxpayers. Hamden taxpayers need to see relief. At this point, to increase taxes would be lazy governance.
Are you in favor of regionalizing more services in conjunction with other nearby communities? If so, which ones?
I am in favor of regionalizing certain government functions to eliminate redundancies and increase efficiency.
Should your school district get the same amount of education funding from the state if your district's enrollment is dropping?
The state has been underfunding Hamden's education system to the tune of over $10million for over a decade now. It's time the state starts allocating education funding in a way that is fair to all students.
What's one thing most people don't know about you?
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