Enfield Candidate Profile: Jacob Nadeau, Town Council At-Large

ENFIELD, CT — Enfield's election season is heating up, and there are plenty of contested races with candidates eager to represent their town in November's municipal election. Enfield Patch asked candidates in the town council and Board of Education races to answer questions about their campaigns, and has been publishing candidate profiles each weekday as election day draws near.

Democrat Jacob Nadeau is running for election to the Enfield Town Council, seeking an at-large seat.

Name: Jacob Nadeau

Age: 26

Position Sought: Town Council at-large

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Family: I live with my girlfriend Ally in the Thompsonville section of Enfield

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government: No

Education: In 2015, I received my Bachelor's degree in media studies from Quinnipiac University. In 2017 I received my Master's degree in Interactive Media from Quinnipiac University.

Occupation: Coordinator of Marketing and Advertising for the Capitol Region Education Council. I have been at this job since August 2018. But I have worked in marketing/public relations since 2015.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

The single most pressing issue facing our town is: low property values in comparison to surrounding towns. We can address this issue by improving the quality of our school system, revamping our neighborhoods and economic centers and upgrading our transportation infrastructure. Several members of my family are teachers, and I work for an organization focused on education. I often hear that the first step to creating a successful school system is aligning the goals and priorities of teachers, students, parents, the Board of Education, and the community. Although many of the decisions related to Enfield public schools will be left to the board of education, I have spoken with our slate, and this is an area we agree on. Personally, I do not think these goals and priorities should be developed from the top-down. Teachers, students, parents, and community members should all have a say in the direction of Enfield Public Schools. There are too many empty storefronts in Thompsonville and Hazardville, not to mention the mall. The TIF district is a start, but we can do more to redevelop our neighborhoods and economic centers. If elected, I will focus on moving commercial and residential blighted properties and brownfields into the hands of responsible landlords. We also need to realize that retail is changing. The town should be open to rezoning real estate for the most productive use. The average commute time for Enfield residents is 23 minutes. For most people, this involves a trip on I-91 or Route 5. That's why I am very wary of the toll proposals at the state capitol. One way we can shorten commutes is speeding up the road work projects in town. Some roads have been under construction for months or years. If we need to allocate more money to speed up the process, so be it.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post: I am the youngest person running in Enfield on either ticket, and I hope I can bring fresh ideas, and a new perspective, and better use of technology to the council. The recent cuts by Republicans to the senior center and adult day care are cold-hearted and short-sighted. Enfield's population is getting older, and we shouldn't abandon folks that have lived in town for years. These town services have the added benefit of making Enfield a more desirable place to live. However, you don't fund these services for economic reasons. You fund them because it is the right thing to do.

List other issues that define your campaign platform: I would eliminate the unnecessary and regressive sewer usage fee. If we still need the revenue, we could replace it with a "Stormwater Drainage Fee." These fees are assessed by the square footage of the impervious area, so big box stores with large parking lots have to pay a larger share for their disproportionate burdening of the system. Furthermore, such fees also capture large tax-exempt institutions.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job: I have always believed in the value of volunteer public service. While I was an undergraduate, I completed five different internships while also serving as president of the Quinnipiac Democrats, and was also the co-chair of the Hunger and Homelessness club. At my graduation, Quinnipiac recognized my extracurricular work by honoring me with the "H. Pearce Family Community Leadership Award," which is given to the senior who has best exemplified the spirit of volunteer community service. Following graduation, I landed a job with the Connecticut House Democrats Digital Communications Department, where I helped with social media, photography, videography, graphic design, and web design.

The best advice ever shared with me was: Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions: I strongly believe that government should be open and accessible. My personal contact information is listed on my flyers because I want to encourage resident input on issues and be responsive to residents' concerns. I will also make it my responsibility to post a recap of town meetings in the Enfield social media forums and try to have them published in local media outlets as well.