Why I'm Running for 9th District Legislative Council

My name is Scott Harris, Jr. and, this week, I will be filing the necessary paperwork to run for Hamden Legislative Council in the 9th district. I’m writing this letter to you today to explain why I have made that decision and what you can expect from my campaign and my term of service if I am elected.

I believe there is no greater responsibility we have as Hamden residents than to provide to our children a world-class education. Unfortunately, we simply are not doing enough to meet that obligation. Though we spend at least $13,000 per pupil, our elementary, middle and high school achievement is struggling and a persistent achievement gap is holding our minority and low-income students from meeting their full potential. I’ve made a number of proposals that I believe will help us turn this around – like working with other cities and towns in our area to develop a common accounting system so we can understand how and where funding impacts achievement, putting digital learning at the forefront of our curriculum and strengthening our teacher evaluation system. You can read more about my platform for education reform at http://www.scottharrisjr.com/education-reform.

Protecting our children doesn’t stop at just education, however. We have to protect our residential neighborhoods from commercial traffic and launch a renewed effort to bring sustainable development to Hamden. As a member of the Legislative Council, I’ll work with the Mayor’s Office and the Planning and Zoning Commission to enforce the smart growth ordinances we have on the books and encourage development that replaces big box stores and gigantic parking lots with small businesses and connected communities. I will also champion hard deadlines for sidewalk repair and replacement. You can read more about my platform for sustainable development by visiting http://www.scottharrisjr.com/sustainable-development.

And we cannot build strong children without strong families, and that means keeping our property taxes low and doing the heavy lifting to reform our pension and health care system. I know Hamden is tired of hearing empty promises, so I’ll make this a clear and unequivocal commitment: I will not vote for a budget that increases the mill rate one iota unless we have put into place a comprehensive strategy for securing our town’s financial future. You can read more about my platform for keeping taxes low by visiting http://www.scottharrisjr.com/taxes.

I’ll be visiting each and every home in the 9th district over the coming months to talk with voters personally about these ideas, and I pledge to be the most accessible candidate on the ballot this fall. Both my cell phone number and e-mail address are listed on my campaign website and I encourage you to contact me. More importantly, I will not disappear after you have elected me into office. I will have meet-and-greet coffees at least once a month for each month of my two-year term and will keep 9th district voters informed by letting you know directly through my website what occurred during a Legislative Council meeting, what I supported and what I did not support.

It’s time for new ideas and fresh leadership. I hope you will support my election to the Legislative Council on November 8.

Thank you,

Scott Harris, Jr.

Candidate for Legislative Council, 9th District