Adam's Platform

New policy content will be released intermittently. Adam values delivering clear and comprehensive policy insights. If you have questions or would like to hear his thoughts on topics that are not yet listed, please feel free to contact the campaign through the submission form or email Adam directly at Adam@AdamforHamden.com

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Taxes & Fiscal Stability

Adam’s family has been in Hamden for six generations. Throughout that time, Hamden has provided quality education, extensive opportunities, employment, safety, and a sense of community to all– with the majority being driven or supported by tax dollars.

But taxes have become unsustainable. Now, his parents and his children, just like many others in our community, will struggle to stay in the town they love.

To alleviate the increasing unaffordability, Adam is putting forward a comprehensive plan built around 4 key pillars:

Controlling spending through an immediate spending freeze on all non-essential items until a line-by-line analysis of the operating budget is complete
Expanding our commercial inventory
Diversifying revenue sources
Engaging statewide experts

It is imperative to control spending and curb the growth of future costs. To aid these efforts, Hamden’s elected officials have to make a pointed effort to educate the public on the difference between the operating budget, the capital budget, and the many special funds that go into Town expenditures so the whole community can participate in an educated discussion on how to balance these funds to arrest this existential crisis.

We need to grow Hamden’s commercial tax base to reduce the burden on residents– which is where Adam’s vision for Smart, Targeted Economic Development comes in. For example, attracting a medical campus to Hamden would bring high-quality services and well-paying jobs to our community while contributing significantly to the commercial tax base. The addition of high-value medical equipment would also increase revenue through the personal property portion of the grand list—further relieving tax pressure on homeowners. Frankly put, Hamden must put its best foot forward in promoting itself as the prime attraction for quality employers, dynamic service providers, and the best site for highway-accessible light manufacturing in the state.

The level of crisis also requires a responsible administration to consider other revenue diversification strategies, strategies that do not increase the financial burden on taxpayers. In short, the greatest proportion of general fund municipal revenue comes from property taxes and state aid. Hamden must maintain its focus on exploring other grants, lobbying the Connecticut General Assembly for full funding of the State’s Education Cost Sharing Grant (ECS) and Special Education Excess Cost Grant, which has been notably underfunded for decades, and hiring a firm to locate and charge those individuals who evade the Hamden motor vehicle tax, maintaining registration in other jurisdictions. Other ideas that should be given analysis and consideration include Tax Increment Financing (TIF), reviewing local hospitality taxes, a full review of ordinances pertaining to fines, fees, and permits, evaluation of opportunities for “Smart City Data” partnerships, and the creation of an Endowment Fund.

It's time to bring in statewide experts to offer impartial advice, share best practices, and help identify innovative, sustainable solutions to Hamden’s structural budget problems and subsequent tax burden.

A Healthy Hamden

Adam’s work at the Keefe Community Center and obtaining a Masters of Public Health from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst has made the links between healthy bodies and healthy communities clear.

During the COVID pandemic, Adam led the rapid transformation of our Town’s human services into emergency response mode. Working alongside dedicated partners, he coordinated critical food security efforts, organized community testing, and later oversaw vaccination events.

Like many of us, Adam wants to control the proliferation of smoke shops. Hamden doesn’t need one on every block; our youth deserve better. He will work with Town leadership to establish responsible zoning and licensing policies that prevent over-saturation, particularly near schools.

Since the closure of the Putnam Avenue Stop & Shop, lower Dixwell is an emerging food desert. Adam will prioritize bringing a grocery store to Southern Hamden and explore other creative solutions to increase access to fresh, affordable food– like growing and expanding community gardens across Hamden. This is both a public health imperative and an economic development opportunity.

Adam will also expand urban tree planting. Southern Hamden, with more pavement and less green space, faces higher rates of asthma and heat-related health issues; he saw that first hand at Keefe and when he was on the Church Street School Based Health Clinic Advisory Board. Adam and his team will expand tree planting programs in these areas to clean the air, cool the streets, and improve health outcomes.

Public Safety

Adam knows that Public Safety is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of local government—and it’s a top priority for him. Hamden has seen more than its fair share of emergencies and disasters in recent years. During his time working for the town, he collaborated closely with our Police, Fire, and Public Works Departments, and understands what it takes to support the people who protect our community.

To ensure Hamden remains safe, responsive, and prepared, Adam plans to:

Invest in and maintain critical Emergency Management infrastructure.
Ensure steady and adequate staffing levels across public safety departments; this is key to maintaining and improving response times, ensuring full coverage across Hamden’s 33 square miles and 240 miles of roads, and also reducing costly overtime due to understaffing.
Implement a fully integrated inventory and maintenance plan for our vehicle fleet—including snowplows, patrol cars, and fire trucks— so our frontline teams have the equipment they need, when they need it.
Strengthen community policing and prioritize prevention. Building trust, improving neighborhood engagement, and proactively addressing issues before they escalate are essential to a safer community.
Utilize the Fire Department and Fire Marshal’s office and corporate partners to enhance the dissemination of fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and household emergency escape plans to reduce the risk of needless tragedy.

Furthermore, Adam supports Hamden's Complete Streets policy and will apply its principles to make our streets safer for ALL users (pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities). Making our streets less car-centric is better for the environment and improves our quality of life. Enhancing our streetscapes will also make Hamden more attractive to businesses. Adam’s administration will also work with the CTDOT to apply Complete Streets policies to the three state roads that run through Hamden: Whitney, Dixwell and State. These three roads experience the highest number of crashes of any thoroughfares in our town.

Housing

Adam’s Hamden story begins with his Great-Grandfather purchasing a house in Hamden nearly 100 years ago. That house is still in his family, and has helped to sustain and provide for multiple generations. Adam is aware that not all Hamden residents had the same opportunities to purchase a home and build generational wealth as his family did. Through redlining and other discriminatory practices, targeted groups were excluded from this opportunity. Adam feels strongly that It is very important that quality housing be accessible to all residents of Hamden.

When talking to residents around town, Adam has heard different perspectives on housing. Some folks say that they fear more kids in the school system and increased traffic. Most say that housing is becoming a burden to them because of property taxes. Others bemoan the lack of other housing opportunities if they choose to downsize. Still others say the housing prices and mortgage rates are still too high to afford a first time purchase or upgrade.

When thinking about housing, it is crucial to build and improve our neighborhoods. Adam recognizes that purchasing a home is the best asset for creating and building wealth for families. Additionally, having a housing market that is accessible to all will help our business community succeed by providing customers and local workers.

As Mayor, Adam will develop a housing strategy to make housing options available to all people including young families, seniors, young professionals, and empty nesters. There are many needs and opportunities we can materialize; especially with our partners at local banks and mortgage companies. Some ideas include homebuyer education programs and downpayment assistance programs for first time homebuyers. The plan will also include ways to encourage developers to develop housing for the middle market, empty nesters, and seniors.

Adam also believes we are missing a great opportunity to improve our aging two and three family and single family housing stock. This approach will provide more options without adding more new buildings. There are many grant opportunities to assist with these ideas.

Quality housing that is accessible to all residents is a cornerstone of strong communities and will offer encouragement to the companies we need to grow the grand list in Hamden.

Economic Development

We need to grow Hamden’s commercial tax base to reduce the burden on residents– which is what my vision for Smart, Targeted Economic Development is all about. As an example, attracting a medical campus to Hamden would bring high-quality services and well-paying jobs to our community while contributing significantly to the commercial tax base. The addition of high-value medical equipment would also increase revenue through the personal property portion of the grand list—further relieving tax pressure on homeowners. Frankly put, Hamden must put its best foot forward in promoting itself as the prime attraction for quality employers, dynamic service providers, and the best site for highway-accessible light manufacturing in the state.

Economic development is also about assisting existing Hamden businesses to grow by offering assistance and incentives through a well thought out, new incentive program to encourage the rehabilitation and expansion of their existing buildings. Economic development is about people, building generational wealth through good paying jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities we aim to explore together.

Adam will use our approved Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) to build out the targeted and identified development areas (all of Dixwell and Whitney Avenues, the State Street Corridor, and the Sherman Avenue corridor) in the POCD through zoning changes that encourage development while preserving our neighborhoods.

Adam will work with the many neighborhood, town-wide, and regional partners to share the planning, promotion and build out of commercial development opportunities to raise town revenue and significantly address the property tax challenge for all residents.

Education

As a father of two daughters who attended Hamden Public Schools and a former Chair of the Board of Education, Adam has a deep understanding of the delivery of education services and its importance in attracting new residents. Education is not just the standard classroom, but also the support services, arts, athletics, and other elements of school– all of which are a critical community-building element.

A strong school system has always been a cornerstone of Hamden’s success and will continue to be a key factor in future growth as a major driver in attracting and retaining families.

To maintain and improve Hamden’s education system, Adam plans to:

Use the Mayor’s ex-officio role as a non-voting member of the Board of Education when necessary to stay actively engaged with educational matters and the concerns of the community.
Expand opportunities for all of our children, not just academically, but also to ensure they grow into well-rounded, informed citizens who are prepared for current and future challenges.
Expand career and technical education opportunities in Hamden, ensuring that our students have pathways to meaningful careers by linking their education directly to real-world opportunities.
Maintain relationships with the local community colleges to allow high school students to earn college credits while in high school to reduce the total cost of higher education for families.

Newhall & Old Middle School

Adam attended the old Hamden Middle School, spending two school years on that site and having outdoor gym class on the athletic fields.

Adam would not build a community campus on the old Middle School site with ARPA funding or any other funding source. He believes that the idea for the “campus” was a top-down idea from the current administration that did not include the community in the planning of the building or the programs. Additionally, the creation of this campus would increase future town spending, particularly on personnel and maintenance year after year. Given the town's financial condition, the campus costs would not be a prudent use of funds. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a professional needs assessment study was never conducted to justify such a project. There is no data that indicates that services are needed in this location.

Adam administered several programs as a professional at the M.L. Keefe Community Center. While at Keefe, Adam worked on emergency housing rehabilitation projects in Newhall, Highwood, and other parts of southern Hamden. He is familiar with the history of the neighborhood, the consent decree, and the challenges it continues to face.

Hamden has a successful community center offering cradle to career services in the Keefe Community Center, which is located in a much better location to serve our residents, particularly in southern Hamden. Investments should be made in the Keefe site, rather than create an entirely new facility. In fact, while working at Keefe, Adam prepared a Keefe Community Center renovation plan for our state delegation to propose to the State Bonding Commission. In 2022, a couple years after Adam sent the plan to Hartford, $1.3 million was awarded for this project. He is curious to learn how much of this grant has been spent, and how much remains unspent to date.

Adam would prioritize the demolition of the remaining school building at the old Middle School site. This building continues to be a danger to public safety and an eyesore. The fact that this building is still standing as of this writing is an insult to the community and a testament to the current administration’s lack of project management skills.

In terms of the future of the old Middle School site, Adam will work with the community on future development ideas, with the hope that at least some of this large parcel could be returned to the tax rolls to help reduce our property tax burden.

Adam would prioritize using ARPA money to fix homes with foundation and other issues due to landfill settling and drainage problems. If ARPA money was unavailable, he would work with our delegation to explore other sources of funding and assistance. These activities need to take place not only to help the current homeowners, but also to fortify Hamden’s aging housing stock for future use. Additionally, Adam plans on exploring long-range solutions to Newhall’s historic flooding and drainage problems which have exacerbated home and property damage.

Related, Adam supports the effort to turn the Olin Six Lakes “Powder Farm” property into a public park. A Six Lakes Park would be a tremendous asset to southern Hamden featuring access to nature, open space, and an opportunity to learn about Hamden’s industrial past. The town must also develop a sensible plan that includes planning for operation and maintenance of this great potential asset

Community Building

Hamden is always at its strongest when we come together. Adam believes in maximizing the opportunity for residents to join with their neighbors at community events, library programming, fairs and festivals. He believes that partnering with community groups and the various Town Boards and Commissions to preserve and promote these events will create an environment in which the social fabric of Hamden can be strengthened.

Adam grew up playing little league baseball here in Hamden, and knows that rallying together around youth sports, arts programming, and clubs brings children from diverse neighborhoods—and their families—together, to make a geographically large Town much smaller.

There are no successes without collaboration among a community who has access to quality information. Town leadership cannot be vain and it cannot be insulated. It must be prepared to meet the moment by meeting Hamden’s stakeholders. Adam is building a broad coalition of supporters— a big tent of people, businesses, and institutions who deeply care about Hamden, who understand its strengths and weaknesses, and are committed to doing the hard work that will make sure Hamden’s brightest days are in its future.