New Ideas. New Leadership. A new direction for wethersfield.
Wethersfield Democrats are Committed to Building a Safe, Affordable, Accessible & Welcoming Community for All
Keeping Wethersfield vibrant and affordable
No one wants to see their taxes continue to rise. As long as our tax base remains 90% residential, homeowners will continue to bear the brunt of the tax burden, disproportionately affecting families and seniors on fixed incomes. When it comes to economic development over the past four years, Wethersfield has missed the opportunity to keep pace with surrounding towns. Democrats believe that we must actively seek out new business opportunities for Wethersfield, while Republicans believe that it will just naturally happen.
Here is our promise to you:
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We will proactively pursue strategic opportunities to attract new businesses, just like we did when our leadership brought in The Borden.
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We will work with the state to improve and modernize the Silas Deane Highway, making it friendlier to pedestrians, more attractive to new businesses, and helping existing businesses grow.
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We will focus on redeveloping empty buildings throughout town, including the Old Masonic Lodge, and work closely with town staff to develop a recruitment plan.
Protecting what we already have
Wethersfield needs to be more responsible about the upkeep of our facilities if we want to keep our town attractive and free of problems that only get more expensive. Wethersfield Democrats will be proactive about regularly evaluating the state of infrastructure like roads and sidewalks and essential buildings like our Community Center and library. Our roads in particular require more frequent, high quality repairs that are communicated well in advance to those in the neighborhood.
For the past four years, the Republican council has taken budget shortcuts and failed to use federal funds to upgrade our town buildings, leaving our town in a more difficult financial position. We will seek out available grants and implement responsible fiscal policy that ensures maintenance is never again absent from our town budget.
Providing a quality education for our children
Our Town Council and Board of Education teams are united in our goals to address the state of our elementary school buildings and fund the high-quality programs and services our students and teachers deserve. Under Democratic leadership, the Town Council will work together with the Board of Education to pass a responsible budget that meets the needs of our students, supports the value of our homes and promotes the reputation of our community. Our children deserve a high-quality education that equips them with the knowledge, skills and opportunities they need to succeed in an ever-changing world. We will also support the modernization and upkeep of our sports fields, which desperately need upgrading to meet the current needs of our students.
Schools are not a business, they are an investment in our future.
Transparency and community engagement
Our team understands that lines of communication need to remain open between the town and residents, between the Town Council and Board of Education, and between town departments if our town is going to function as well as it has in the past. We need regular, transparent conversations between town leadership and our residents that go beyond a public comment period at a meeting or a knock on a door during campaign season. That way, we can learn from our residents and give you the chance to offer input and ask questions before major decisions are made, especially about projects like our elementary schools and Kycia Farm that impact many people. Unlike our current town leadership, Democrats will not make important decisions behind closed doors and will treat the community as our partner in improving our town.
Promoting public safety
Wethersfield Democrats will continue to support our first responders and make sure they have the resources they need to keep people safe, like new StarChase technology which lets our police department find vehicles that flee traffic stops without engaging in a dangerous chase. We also need to make sure our community will never worry about who will show up when they call for help in an emergency, which is what could happen if our fire department remains under-resourced.
And public safety goes beyond preventing crime and providing fast emergency response - it includes all the factors that allow you to feel safe as you move about town. That means:
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Installing traffic calming measures to slow speeders without requiring additional enforcement.
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Prioritizing pedestrian and bike safety by improving crosswalks and helping property owners to repair sidewalks.
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Taking care of our Physical Services department so that they can retain the staff they need to keep our street lights bright, our properties free of litter, and our roads cleared of snow in a timely manner.
Improving quality of life
Wethersfield Democrats believe you should be able to enjoy your life here to the fullest. We will support more services and recreation opportunities for seniors and will prioritize accessibility at events and in all areas of town so that seniors and people with disabilities can enjoy all our town has to offer. We will also crack down on repeat blight and zoning violations and will work with our state legislators to address the noise, pollution and environmental issues with nearby Brainard Airport. And, Democrats will continue to grow our highly successful town events like Holidays on Main and Porch Fest and look for opportunities to hold events outside of Old Wethersfield to make our home a destination for New England!
A Vision for Wethersfield Schools
