Walter Morton’s Action Strategy for Hamden
A Strong Start: 10 Steps For the First 10 Weeks
1. Attract New Business. In order to strengthen Hamden’s economy and grow our tax base, we must create an environment that allows businesses to thrive. Walter Morton will create and lead the Mayor’s Hamden Business Growth Team to overhaul our town’s approach to economic development and business retention. We must do better. Walter Morton’s Business Growth Team will include residents, community groups, the Chamber of Commerce, small business owners, and local university faculty from the Quinnipiac School of Business and the Yale School of Management.
2. Establish The Hamden Business Growth Team. Lauren Garrett has raised Taxes by just under 4 mills during her only term –unprecedented in Hamden history! According to the CT Office of Policy & Management, Hamden now has the 2nd highest mill rate among the state’s 169 municipalities. Lauren Garrett's only tool for Hamden’s challenges is raising your property taxes. We must do better to attract business investment and grow our talented workforce. Walter Morton will direct the Hamden Business Growth Team to determine cost savings and efficiencies, while partnering with state and local leaders to foster collaboration and share best practices. Our local government must utilize the talents of local businesses and community leaders to determine more effective ways to offer vital services more efficiently. Walter Morton will run an efficient local government that delivers the services that residents deserve – without relying on tax increases.
3. 3. Make our communities safer: Walter Morton will work collaboratively with community leaders and the police department to develop and implement strategies to improve the safety of our citizens, neighborhoods, and business areas. As Mayor, he’ll encourage extensive and ongoing community input into an improved public safety strategy that promotes transparency and openness and builds trust and confidence in Hamden’s law enforcement. Morton will support common sense police reforms so all Hamdonites can have trust in our law enforcement and the safety of our community. Currently, the Hamden Police Department is 25 officers short of the minimum force level and Lauren Garret has failed to appoint a new Police Chief and Fire Chief. Morton will appoint a new Police Chief, Deputy Chief, & Assistant Fire Chief and fill key law enforcement vacancies, which will allow for increased police patrols in our neighborhoods and commercial shopping areas.
4. Put experience over politics. The Chief of Staff must be a good management administrator rather than a political party chair. Walter Morton will appoint a Chief of Staff with professional management qualifications & experience in business and government administration. They shall oversee department heads and execute the mayor’s policies & directives with crucial emphasis on follow-through & accountability.
5. Partner with state leaders. Hamden’s vital needs will require strong collaboration between Town Hall and Connecticut’s state government. Morton will use his years of experience in Hartford to establish a productive working relationship with the executive and legislative branches of state government. From day one, he’ll work diligently with the Governor and Commissioner of the Department of Economic & Community Development (DECD) to substantively address critical Hamden priorities.
6. Lower energy costs. Morton will work with United Illuminating to immediately undertake a long-overdue conversion of Hamden’s streetlights to LED to save money, reduce our carbon footprint, and improve public safety. Past discussions slowed down this vital progress. Hamden could save nearly $4 million in energy costs over the next five years, helping stabilize property taxes, fund a universal Pre-K program, and upgrade our local Department of Economic Development.
7. Reduce Hamden’s carbon footprint. Walter Morton will add Hamden’s municipal facilities to the ACES Green Energy Program. As a Hamden Board of Education member, Morton grew frustrated with Lauren Garrett’ failure to take local action on climate change. Morton and the Board enrolled the school facilities in the Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES) comprehensive green energy program. Our schools will soon feature solar energy, electric vehicle charging stations, and battery storage. It’s time to bring that same approach to Hamden’s municipal buildings. The millions of dollars saved in energy costs will be diverted from the power companies’ coffers to our classrooms. Plus, Hamden will become the greenest community in the greater New Haven region. No cost. Millions in savings. Smart strategy.
8. Establish universal Pre-K. Investing in our students is an investment in Hamden’s future. Walter Morton will initiate a fully-funded universal Hamden Pre-K program in concert with The Board of Education for our community's young children. Research shows that a high-quality Pre-K experience benefits youngsters' education, graduation rates, and growth opportunities. As Mayor, Walter Morton will fund a robust Pre-K program by using cost savings and state reimbursements. Creating a good Pre-K program for Hamden families with young children won’t be easy – but Walter Morton has the experience to turn this policy into a reality.
9. Improve government services. Hamden residents deserve to know that their taxpayer dollars are being used wisely. Walter Morton will establish a working partnership with our local universities - Quinnipiac, Yale, SCSU & Albertus Magnus - to enlist the talents of faculty and student interns to improve Hamden’s government services. A successful collaboration between Town Hall and our local universities can create substantial financial investment, grow Hamden’s talented labor pool, and leverage the expertise of some of the brightest minds in the country to help solve our economic challenges, and improve our community’s quality of life.
10.Listen & learn from Hamdenites. Walter Morton knows that good leadership involves listening carefully to the ideas and concerns of our citizens. People have good ideas, and as mayor, Morton will make carefully listening to our citizens a hallmark of his administration. Walter Morton will establish a regular schedule for Mayor’s Neighborhood Meetings in each of Hamden’s unique neighborhoods so that he can listen, learn, and report to our citizens. He’ll actively engage with citizens for ideas and input and tap into their talents to meet Hamden’s challenges.