Town Governance

Branford is widely known and admired for having a strong sense of community. We respect the value of neighborhood associations and will work to develop new opportunities for creating even stronger community partnerships. We also support condominium associations as another way to provide Branford residents greater access to Town government.

Branford's Boards and Commissions are made up of public-spirited citizen volunteers and play a key role in creating and implementing policy on a wide range of issues. These include land use and development, preservation of our cultural and environmental resources, public health and safety and recreation. We have therefore instituted the practice of including representatives of Town Commissions and Boards in all Selectmen's meetings as a means of recognizing, communicating, coordinating and addressing Town priorities.

We recognize that Branford and its residents are members of a region and that some services and governmental functions are (or have the potential to be) more efficiently provided by a regional entity. Since our re-election in 2007, we have been meeting regularly with the leaders of other municipalities in our region to develop and improve cooperative efforts that can increase effectiveness and affordability when addressing challenges such as sensible land use, mutual-aid emergency services, protection of natural resources, access to health care, opportunities for higher education, transportation, affordable housing and jobs. This year the General Assembly passed legislation creating financial incentives to encourage regional cooperation. We are proud that Branford has been out in front on this issue and we pledge to continue our quest for cooperative opportunities with our municipal neighbors.