C.J. Thomas Running For Farmington Town Council Chair

FARMINGTON, CT — Republican C.J. Thomas, 59, is running for Town Council Chair in Farmington.

Occupation: Ray H Morris Dist. - Owner

Family: Alex - wife Charlie - son Chris - son

Experience: Town Council Chair

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

Fiscal restraint. We just passed a referendum to build a new high school with the assumption that we will limit spending growth to a maximum of 3% annually. I have shown the ability to achieve that in my current capacity as Chair of the Town Council. We need to prioritize spending of federal dollars coming to Farmington and Unionville and while adhering to the restrictions tied to that money.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

I can only speak for myself. I have been serving our town for 18+ years. My relationships and long history with many service providers, key Town staff, and external stakeholders are critical in providing efficient services and results to benefit Farmington, and particularly under unexpected circumstances. There’s no learning curve.

Accomplishments:

Since 2020, I have been the Chair of our Town Council. Over the past two years with COVID-19, we moved through wearing masks, social distancing, working remotely and implementing executive orders, among other measures; while doing this, we continued to deliver top quality town services. We also kept residents informed through letters, reverse 911 calls, emails, social media, and continued updates to our Town website. In addition, weather events demanded immediate town action. While all of this was occurring, we passed the Farmington High School (FHS) building referendum (by a 2 to 1 margin), acquired the Parson’s corner (for $1, 000, versus the $2M previously valued by the state), and limited tax increases; we froze taxes in 2020, and due to concerns for taxpayers and unknown effects of COVID-19 on our economy.

Other issues:

We now need to begin construction on FHS. It is up to Farmington’s Town Council to make sure we continue to follow a prudent approach towards our spending. The Parson’s corner will become modified open space, requiring a new committee of community members to help in its design and execution. I worked with the State to acquire this property for Farmington because it’s an important parcel; its location serves as a gateway or entrance to our town. I would like to see sidewalks on Farmington Avenue for the safety of our residents, children, and visitors. This will also add “walkability” in town and help connect more of us to the trails safely. We are again discussing the third bridge across the river. This is both a public safety issue and a traffic issue that should benefit our region. With so much federal money being earmarked for infrastructure, and the timing is right.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I have worked to create consensus in moving ideas forward. In fact, since becoming Chair in January 2020, only two Town Council votes were not unanimous one procedural and one an appointment. In addition, the appointments over the past two year have made our boards and commissions more representative of the current population in town. I believe all of the people running for elective office this year are doing so for the right reasons. We would all like to see Farmington continue to be a desirable town for its great schools, low taxes, and excellent town services. I hope you will support me and vote line B on November 2, and 2021.