Enfield Candidate Profile: Kelly Hemmeler, Town Council

ENFIELD, CT — The 2023 municipal election season is heating up in Enfield, and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Enfield Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Name: Kelly Hemmeler

How old will you be as of Election Day? 57

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

https://www.enfieldrtc.org/enf...

What city or town do you live in? Enfield

What office are you seeking? Enfield Town Council

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here. District 2

Party affiliation: Republican

Education: Associates Degree in Accounting and graduated from Enfield High School 1983

What is your occupation? Bookkeeper and owner of KH Bookkeeping Service LLC

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Happily married to Clifford, 2 adult daughters, 2 grandkids and 2 dogs

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

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Enfield Town Council District 2 – years 2019 – 2021
Former chair of Board of Assessment Appeals (member 2014 – 2019)
Former commissioner of Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Agency (member 2017 – 2019)

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am not running for office to have power. I want to help my community. I will listen to their concerns and try to facilitate a solution. I would never say “I don’t want to get involved” or “this is a neighborhood problem, not my problem”. I look forward to serving the council again so I can be there for Enfield!

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The most critical issue is taxes. Our residents are feeling the crushing influence of a recession where inflation is affecting everyone. I’m not saying there is a simple solution, but the difficult decisions have to be made between wants and needs. Just like our households, our town needs to live within its means. Large tax increases affect everyone; families, senior citizens on fixed incomes as well as single folks.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I will do the hard work to not raise taxes so that the town lives within its means. I would never lecture residents that they are not doing enough. I am here to serve the community and will jump in where I am needed.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

Our town’s boards and commissions are run by volunteers, and all should be treated with respect and should be appreciated. Our current district 2 councilor and the majority party have publicly humiliated some volunteers because they have a different point of view. I believe that all volunteers and residents should be treated with dignity and respect.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Enfield has many strengths and one of them is our diversity in housing and economic stock. We have a small urban setting in Thompsonville, bedroom residential housing throughout all districts, retail establishments industrial, and farming areas. I believe all are equally important to the tax base and when the town council creates policy all should be considered. Enfield is a wonderful community because their people are compassionate and caring to each other.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Served on Enfield Town Council during a pandemic. During that time, there was a lot of uncertainty. There are some Monday morning quarterbacks who criticize the policies, but we all stayed calm and moved the town forward.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Always be humble and love your neighbor even when they are not lovable.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

As a Town Councilor I was part of a team that kept taxes flat while adding a police substation in Thompsonville, advocating for roads in my district to be re-paved, finishing the water pollution plant, finishing the JFK Middle School and adding basketball courts, playscapes, splash pad to our neighborhood parks. While overseeing these investments, we were able to manage the debt residents had voted on as well as maintain an excellent bond rating that keeps the interest rate as low as possible.