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10/17/2019 12:00 AMZip06/The Sound asked North Branford Democratic Town Committee chairman Chris Kranick to discuss why he feels voters should support the slate of Democratic Town Council and Board of Education (BOE) candidates on the ballot in the Nov. 5 municipal election.
Currently holding three of nine seats on Town Council, North Branford Democrats are seeking to win the Town Council majority on Nov. 5 with a six-person slate of two incumbent council members and four new candidates. Democrats also hope to gain the majority of seats on the Town's seven-member BOE by with three Democratic candidates on the ballot; including two incumbent BOE members and one new candidate. Voters will be asked to fill a total of three BOE seats on the Nov. 5 ballot.
The party's website, https://northbranforddemocrats.org carries the message that the North Branford Democrats are "...ready to turn this town blue with a slate of candidates who have clear vision, experience and passion for our town."
With regard to that clear vision, Kranick said, "North Branford Democrats have a clear vision that demands strategic planning to stop the unrelenting dependence on residential property taxes. The town faces unprecedented infrastructure needs that Republicans have shown no plans to address in any comprehensive way. This means that – in the absence of any critical thinking – taxpayers will be hit hard by ballooning town debt and residential taxes for generations. That is completely unacceptable."
Kranick credited the town's Democrats with pushing for the hiring of an Economic Development coordinator as a way to spur innovative economic development and help lighten residents' property tax burden. North Branford hired it's first part-time coordinator, Roger Salway, in the spring of 2018.
"Democrats fought hard to establish the town's first ever dedicated coordinator for Economic Development – and we can't lose ground now!" said Kranick. "Emerging economic development innovation is bringing real hope to homeowners who are sick and tired of carrying the lion's share of the tax burden through unsustainable residential property taxes. Simply put, every economic development success means less need to tax homeowners. This Democratic success is a town success."
Democratic candidates for Town Council are incumbent councilor candidates Joseph Faughnan and Marie Diamond and candidates Dan Armin, Joseph Martin Jr., Lou Paternoster and Brenda Shuler. BOE Democratic candidates on the Nov. 5 ballot are incumbents Jana Balsamo and Vincent Mase, Sr., together with Tara Downes.
"Our forward-thinking plan is in your interest!" said Kranick. He encourages the electorate to vote Row A in North Branford's Nov. 5 municipal elections to support the 2019 Democratic ticket.
North Branford Democrats will host a "Meet the Candidates" free event for the public at Doody's Totoket Inn, 465 Foxon Road, on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 5 -7 p.m.
For more information about North Branford Democratic candidates and the DTC, find North Branford Democratic Town Committee on Facebook.
North Branford's 2019 Town Council candidates will participate in a Town Council Candidates' Forum on Wed. Oct. 23, 7:30 p.m. at the Stanley T. Williams Community Center in Northford, 1332 Middletown Ave. The forum is being hosted by the League of Women Voters of the East Shore (see related story).