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Cosgrove Confirms 2015 Run

With this week's confirmation from First Selectman James B. "Jamie" Cosgrove that he'll run for a second term in November, the local election season is heating up a bit early this summer.

Cosgrove's confirmation that he will run again was made in response to inquiries ; and once those stories came out, the result was a de facto announcement, he told Zip06. The stories first appeared online at The Branford Seven and New Haven Register.

Cosgrove's position as 2015 incumbent First Selectman Republican candidate will be officially placed on the Republican slate later this month, after the Republican town party's 2015 election caucus. The Democratic town party will also caucus later this month to produce its 2015 ticket.

"I confirmed I'm running, but I haven't put out an official announcement," said Cosgrove, adding, "..there's work I'm moving forward on and I want to continue on with that."

Since taking office, Cosgrove has spearheaded several changes, many of which were included in his 2012 election platform. He helped craft ordinance language that was voted in to bring about the town's first Public Building Commission. He hired a consultant to assess community needs, leading to the decision to renovate and expand the Community House to include a new Senior Center (recently, on June 24, the commission moved the project forward, voting to recommended hiring Farmington firm Quisenberry Arcari for the redesign).

Cosgrove also ended the town's pursuit of the last piece of the Tabor eminent domain litigation puzzle, announcing in 2014 Branford would not seek to overturn a judge's past finding in favor of insurance carrier Arrowood Indemnity Co.  Cosgrove's decision shut down Town of Branford v. Arrowood Indemnity Co. et al. , a $2.2 million insurance appeal. Later in 2014, Cosgrove announced the town would settle lawsuits tying up development opportunities at Exit 56 (during his campaign, Cosgrove supported large retail development at Exit 56). By near unanimous, bi-partisan vote (21-2), the Representative Town Committee (RTM) followed Cosgrove's lead, approving a $500,000 settlement with citizen Wayne Cooke to settle 2012 civil rights and slander suits.  In Dec. 2014, saying he supported "sensible growth" in the tax base as fiscal security for the town's future, Cosgrove announced Costco would visit with town officials to review a plan for a potential development at Exit 56. This week, on July 9 at 7 p.m. at Branford Fire Headquarters, the Planning and Zoning Commission is poised to vote on whether to accept Costco's Planned Development District application.

Cosgrove told Zip06 he's seen a lot of progress in Branford since taking his first two-year term of office, but wants more time at the helm to continue to lead that progress, and more.

"Realistically, two years is not enough to get it all done," said Cosgrove.