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10/06/2020 03:33 PMJohn Hall describes himself as a man of few words who prefers to let his actions do the talking, and he said voters should send him to Hartford because of his experience.
“I’ve spent 11 years on the Board of Selectmen (BOS), building and passing budgets,” Hall said.
Hall also added that he is a lifelong resident of the area and that he knows the issues that affect the district.
Hall describes himself as fiscal conservative and pointed to the state budget as his number one concern.
“It needs to be addressed head on. I’m a small business owner and I know you can’t run our state that way long term,” Hall said.
When building budgets in Westbrook, Hall said that he uses a concept called zero-based budgeting, something he’d like to bring to the state.
“You need to justify your money every year,” explained Hall.
“I keep the tax increases very minimal and I work very hard on the budget,” Hall said of his work on the BOS.
Hall said money designated for certain tasks, or put in so-called lockboxes, should actually be put in those accounts and not raided to balance budgets. The prospect of people leaving the state due to high taxes is one that Hall said concerned him.
Hall called Connecticut a “gemstone of a place to live” but said taxes have to be affordable to keep people in the state.
Record of Service
Outside of his work on the BOS, Hall is also the owner of Maple Breeze Farm, the owner of Artech Water System, and the president of the Middlesex County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. Hall said his experiences as a business owner have helped him with his work on the BOS.
“It’s easy to sign the back of a paycheck, but when you’re the one signing the front of a paycheck, a lot of responsibility comes there,” said Hall.
Before he was on the BOS, Hall served for more than two decades on the Westbrook Zoning Board of Appeals, where he said he worked to help bring development into the town such as the outlets and the Water’s Edge Resort.
“I tried to make good smart decisions to bring economic development to town,” Hall said.
Hall also worked for years with the Westbrook Foundation, which he said contributed a lot to the community, including by helping start the Youth & Family Services Department in town.
Should he win the seat in November, Hall said he will step aside from the BOS and the Farm Bureau board to focus his efforts on working in Hartford.
“I look forward to stepping up and doing the best job I can and spending as much time in Hartford as I need,” said Hall.
Hall said that he largely supports the way the state has handled the COVID-19 pandemic, and praised the way the government on the state level dealt with the outbreak.
“I’d like to see the state continue to open a few more things, but keep an eye on the numbers and on the science,” Hall said.
Besides the budget, protecting agriculture rights and the environment are other key issues for Hall. Maple Breeze Farm has been in his family for hundreds of years and Hall says making a living off the land leads him to appreciate it.
“You need to be sustainable; you can’t live off the land if you harm it,” said Hall. “I’m a huge environmentalist.”
During his tenure with the farm bureau, Hall said he has been an active member testifying in committees for and against bills that affected agricultural issues, as well as assisting in the bill writing process. In particular, Hall helped work on a bill that regulated maple syrup and honey by the state’s Department of Agriculture. Hall was present when it was signed by Governor Ned Lamont and called it an example of bipartisanship.
“To get things done, you need to work together,” Hall said.
Hall said that the Department of Agriculture has shrunk over the years and said while he would be mindful of adding too much cost, he wants to make sure the department is appropriately staffed.
“They’re trying to do a lot up there and it should stand on its own,” said Hall.
As for transportation and infrastructure needs, Hall said the state “has got to make sure that funds go where they’re directed” when money is allocated for items like bridge and road repairs. Hall praised the effect that the Shoreline East service in the district has done for relieving congestion and said that rail service should be expanded somewhat.
Working Locally
Last month, some in Westbrook were upset when Hall and fellow Republican First Selectman Noel Bishop chose the unusual, for Westbrook, method of using the BOS authority to fill a vacancy on the Board of Finance (BOF) with a Republican candidate instead of letting the BOF fill the position as has been normally done. Hall explained that two years ago voters decided to split the open seats on the board between one Democrat and one Republican, so he felt the BOS should honor the wishes of the voters by appointing a Republican to fill the vacancy left by the resigning Republican member.
Hall sad that voters should not be concerned about him being unwilling to work across the aisle.
“I would have argued the same way if it was a Democrat,” Hall contended.
Police Reform
During the summer, the nation was rocked by racial tensions and protests after video emerged of George Floyd, a Black man, being killed by Minneapolis police in May. The Connecticut legislature responded by passing a controversial police reform bill.
Hall said he was bothered by “a few bad apples” in police forces that behave poorly, but said was not a supporter of the bill that passed. Hall said that, in his opinion, the bill from top to bottom needs to be looked at and either repealed or changed drastically.
“I support public safety, by and large they do a great job,” said Hall.
Hall said that voters should not be concerned that he wasn’t initially planning on running until MacLachlan dropped out by pointing out he’s always had in interest in the legislature and that “my record speaks for itself.”
“When you’re a farmer you get things done. You do things as inexpensively as you can and you move on,” said Hall.
For more information, visit Hall’s Facebook page “John Hall 2020.”