Hamden Candidate Profile: Jay Kaye For Mayor

HAMDEN, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Hamden and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Hamden Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Jay Kaye is running for Mayor as a Republican. He is challenging Democratic incumbent Mayor Curt Balzano Leng, who is seeking a third full-term in office.

Kaye has been a production manager for 24 years and was a small business owner for eight years. Kaye is a graduate of Hamden Hall and Babson College. His wife, Karlen Meinsen, is running for a seat on the Legislative Council in the 6th District.

Are you running for office in Hamden? Contact Vinnie Salzo at vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Hamden Patch.

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Fiscal and Town Management. Hamden has suffered under poor fiscal and managerial decisions for decades. This will be reversed. Our high mil rate, business and resident apathy and lack of key managerial and leadership roles are directly related to the decades long pattern of ignoring our actuarial recommendations, leaving key department head positions inadequately filled and a failure to work with our Legislative Council to make impactful and correct decisions regarding long term financial planning. I will reverse this trend, responsibly fill key department positions, work WITH the Legislative Council, promote business and job growth and ultimately revitalize Hamden's future.

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

Managerial Experience is the biggest difference. I have over 30 years of successful business management experience.

My ability to work with others. I have proudly built a reputation in my industry as someone who is collaborative, cooperative, fair, honest and ethical.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Education: Hamden needs to focus on the socio-economic factors that affect our student's abilities to learn and flourish in Hamden. Jobs, stable house hold economies, safe streets and neighborhoods for living and playing and an overall improved quality of life will directly impact our students. Not buildings and buses.

Public Safety: Hamden's roads will be made safer. I will increase enforcement along with public awareness campaigns to drive home the fact that Hamden's roads are unsafe due to high speeds.

Police/Fire: All residents deserve the right to feel safe and respected in Hamden. Our first responders and police officers deserve exactly the same. I will ensure that honest dialogue and open discussions, along with policy and procedures derived with public input are put in place. Immediately.

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

Growing a business and helping to improve the lives of hundreds of my fellow co-workers that have worked with me as their manager, has been extremely satisfying and emotional. Many members of our team have been with me for over 10 years, I have watched their families grow and their quality of life improve. I have done this by making decisions based not only on smart business practices, but with compassion and understanding to the needs of our employees. I will continue to do the same for Hamden residents. My responsibility is to the Hamden resident, not to the corporate side of politics. Political cronyism, favoritism and political loyalty will not be a part of my job description. It would fail in business and it has failed in Hamden.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

A calm sea never made a good sailor

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Clearly Hamden has been mismanaged over the years, with those directly involved with that mismanagement claiming that they weren't and still trying to stay involved to continue the downward spiral.

Hamden needs to change course.

Now.

Hamden is close to going bankrupt. The State of Connecticut is watching Hamden closely with the real possibility of the Municipal Accounting Review Board taking over Hamden's Town Management.

This election is our chance to change the course ourselves, or, we can stay on the same path and watch Hamden erode even further.

I have the experience, temperament, ability and skill to provide cooperative, collaborative, proactive and respectful managerial practices and decision-making capabilities to Hamden.

It is time to stop complaining about what is wrong with Hamden and start doing what is right for Hamden.

Campaign Website:

jaykaye2019.com