Tag Archives: Branford

Freezing Senior Citizens’ Property Taxes in Branford

During the election for first selectman, Josh Brooks made an interesting pledge. “I am proposing to freeze property taxes for qualified Branford seniors,” he wrote on his campaign website, and shared on social media. Is such a plan feasible? Yes — other towns have already implemented some version of it. In fact, Branford has an interestingContinue reading “Freezing Senior Citizens’ Property Taxes in Branford”

Leaving the Branford RTM

This started out as a post for social media. Once I started writing, I quickly realized I had more thoughts that I wanted to share than made sense for a post. No surprises there! I am not running for reelection on Branford’s RTM this year. After two two-year terms, I feel that I’ve done aContinue reading “Leaving the Branford RTM”

Horseshoe Crabs in Branford

The horseshoe crab is one of nature’s oldest fauna, claiming a history that stretches back 250 million years to the early Triassic. For dinosaur fans, that means that a stegosaurus, famed for the gaudy kite-shaped plates on its back and spiked tail, might have seen horseshoe crabs while stomping along a Jurassic era beach. IContinue reading “Horseshoe Crabs in Branford”

Branford’s 2026 Budget

Last week, my town (Branford, Connecticut) passed a budget for the upcoming year (2026, for readers keeping track from the distant and unknowable future). That budget will fund the town’s departments and activities. As Chair of the Public Services Committee, I had an opportunity to (along with the other members of my committee and membersContinue reading “Branford’s 2026 Budget”

Branford: Big Town, Small Town

If you ask most Republicans and many independents whether they believe government and bureaucracy ought to get bigger at a local, state, or (especially) federal level they will say “no.” Government ought in many cases to stay the same size or to shrink. The most extreme conservatives who are still recognizably part of a modernContinue reading “Branford: Big Town, Small Town”