Republican Jamie Cosgrove wants a fifth term as first selectman to build on Branford’s advancements and continue developing gains and addressing needs; while maintaining a fiscally sound municipality that’s affordable for community members and provides quality services and programs.

“You have to be able to strike that balance,” said Cosgrove. “I think my administration has been successful the last eight years, and we look forward to continuing.”

The new Walsh Intermediate School (WIS), Community House, and national recognition of Branford’s landmark Coastal Resiliency Fund are some highly visible accomplishments, but he noted many other successful efforts have also been achieved over the past four terms, with just some of them including reinvigorating Branford Hills Park and Foote Riverside Park to Branford’s spring, 2022 Main Street renovation project, which will address 30 years of wear and tear.

“The common denominator is we’re focusing ourselves for the betterment of Branford, ensuring we’re approaching things in a sustainable manner, in a fiscally responsible manner,” he said.

For the Main Street project, Cosgrove secured $2.5 million in “non-local dollars earmarked not only to reconstruct, but make improvement to ensure the vibrancy of our downtown,” he said. Among other infrastructure projects on the horizon is Cosgrove’s new effort to ensure dredging of the Branford River, which he considers a “vital asset to our community, to our quality of life.”

With strong financial planning, Branford’s annual budget has increased by approximately $30 million in eight years, but in that time, Branford has undertaken more than $100 million worth of projects aided by substantial outside funding, Cosgrove noted.

“That shows the great financial planning of the town. I think what doesn’t get discussed quite a bit is how much money we’ve brought in, so it’s not the direct burden on the Branford taxpayer.”

Millions have been secured while working in a bipartisan manner with Branford’s state and federal legislators, he said, including a $650,000 STEAP grant (Stony Creek), a $500,000 STEAP grant (Indian Neck firehouse), a $35 million state reimbursement for the WIS building project, and $2.7 million in federal funding for East Industrial Road improvements. As a SCRCOG Transportation Committee member, Cosgrove secured $2.25 million for Meadow Street improvements.

Cosgrove also credits the important guidance of Branford Finance Director Jim Finch. Working together, alongside State Senator Christine Cohen (D-12), Branford’s Coastal Resiliency Fund legislation was adopted at the state level, increasing investment opportunities for Branford and municipalities statewide. Recently readied for investment, the fund currently stands at $1.9 million.

In budgeting, Cosgrove said he takes a strategic, rigorous, realistic approach, including funding Branford’s long-term liabilities. Standard & Poor’s has consistently rated Branford AAA during Cosgrove’s tenure.

“There’s no gimmicks within our budget. It’s a budget that addresses the needs and the liabilities that we’re facing,” said Cosgrove. “Judge us by the eight years, or judge the town where we stand today, and I think it’s something that all of Branford should be proud of and recognize.”

Branford’s current mill rate is 29.45, an annual increase of 1.82 percent.

“Compared to other towns in our area along the shoreline, we’re still at a very competitive, lower mill rate. We’re in a very strong position financially, in terms of addressing our long term-liabilities.”

Cosgrove believes in maintaining a “healthy fund balance,” in the town’s undesignated general fund gives Branford “flexibility.” The fund is currently at $28 million. Last year, $3 million was appropriated to offset tax liability and address collection rate concerns connected to the pandemic.

“It gives the Town of Branford a lot of flexibility during uncertain and unprecedented times. Whether it’s a pandemic or uncertainty about what’s going to happen on the state level, the Town of Branford has flexibility, and we are able to weather that uncertainty in those events.”

It also creates leverage.

“When we are taking on a project, we have money to carry that project before being forced to go to the market. Other communities don’t have that flexibility,” he said. “We can look for a good opportunity to go to the market.”

Recent financing of the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter expansion supported an additional $1.7 million in costs and contingencies, bringing the total up to $4.59 million. Cosgrove said the original numbers surrounding the cost were “conceptual numbers,” later compounded by “serious inflation [and] spikes in labor costs and construction costs in general” from pandemic impacts.

Pledges, donations and grants from the shelter’s on-going fundraising campaign have generated more than $1.49 million to offset the project cost, to date. After discussing and reviewing the reasons for the increase, unanimous, bi-partisan votes of the Board of Finance (BOF) and the RTM supported Branford fully financing the project.

Branford is also taking a responsible approach to expending its American Rescue Plan dollars and will stay truthful to the intent of the act, for which guidelines “continue be clarified,” Cosgrove said.

“Other communities may have elected to use some of those dollars within their current budget. We want to go through a process that the town is comfortable with and familiar with,” including BOF and RTM review. The funds have to obligated by 2024 and spent by 2026.

Infrastructure, sewer projects, and other approved areas of use are among those Cosgrove supports, but he also wants to see some of the funding go toward “addressing the human needs and arts and culture, [in] a way that will have a sustainable impact. We want to make sure we’re deploying these dollars in a way that has a long-term impact rather than just a one-time shot in the arm.”

Cosgrove also wants to continue to tap into the “strong volunteer sense here in Branford” as a resource assisting with town goals. Branford’s Clean Energy Committee, formed under his tenure, is one such volunteer group.

The group formed up following Cosgrove’s work to develop energy conservation initiatives in Branford, including an agreement to build a solar array at the Tabor property with a virtual net meter agreement credited to Branford’s waste water treatment plant, and an energy performance contract reviewing all town buildings. The committee has helped Branford offer programs including Heat Smart and Solar for All, while also bringing in CT Green Bank recommendations such as one that has led to two solar projects coming to two elementary school buildings.

Cosgrove will continue to support economic development for a “diverse tax base,” including welcoming Amazon’s recent “last mile” delivery station proposal here, continuing to build on local businesses, and continuing support for Branford’s bioscience/biotech sector. A member of the REX development board who supports Bio CT programs in Branford, Cosgrove also welcomes the bi-annual Accelerator Bioscience Technology Consortium in Branford.

“You need to have a diverse tax base in order to support each other,” said Cosgrove. “To attract people to stay here, you want to have opportunities. You want to have not only the tax revenue, but you also want to have convenience to services; you also want to have [differing] job opportunities. You have to create an environment that supports diversity.”

Last month, Cosgrove welcomed Branford’s new, part-time economic development and business manager, former Economic Development Commission chair Perry Maresca, to assist with the effort. Another focus for the role is assisting businesses in the downtown area by drawing more people there.

“Even though small business and retail [experienced] a change, and it definitely hit hard through this pandemic, we saw what could be with just the activity that’s been occurring on the green in the last year and half,” Cosgrove said. “We want to develop a strategy so those activities that we’re promoting are to the benefit and support the business community.”

Cosgrove said there has been a definite surge in use of the Branford Green by citizens.

“We’ve always had a lot of planned activities a lot of organizations utilizing the green, but I would say this past year, you see tremendous amount of use just on an informal, casual basis—family, friends coming down here and meeting down here, people meeting for business on the green. I think that shows there’s a lot of potential that I look forward to being part of to unlock here in the center.”

In the vacuum created by the cancellation of the Jazz Series and Branford Festival in 2020 and 2021, Cosgrove also sought to bring in a mix of small-scale community events and performances, organized by Branford Arts, Culture, and Special Events and Programs Coordinator Colin Sheehan. The Parks and Recreation position was elevated from part-time to full-time in the last budget process, said Cosgrove.

While he has always had an open-door policy, Cosgrove said his office and town staff especially work to communicate accurate information to the community regarding COVID using periodic community messages. The messages include accurate, reliable information based on weekly meetings with health, school and other officials.

“Sometimes that takes time, to really see what is accurate. We don’t want to be part of the confusion; we want to make sure people can trust what is being put out there.”

He said the results can be seen in Branford’s vaccination rate data.

“We far exceed the state average; we’re a leader,” he said. “That’s in large because of communication, the outreach to the community, the involvement of town staff. Those results support the fact that we did do community outreach— it was appropriate, we engaged our community, and we dedicated town resources to that effort.”

Communication via “robocalls” needs to remain limited to emergencies and coordinated with Branford’s emergency management director, Cosgrove added. During April’s active shooter crisis, emergency calls were made to residents in the impacted area, alerting them to remain indoors and away from the area.

“We want to make sure when we’re going out there, when we’re utilizing that means of contact, that it is an emergency. It is really meant to be to give people information for emergency situations.”

A lifelong Branford resident, Cosgrove and his wife, Nicole, have two children who are also growing up in Branford, “a great town,” he said.

“I’ve always said the strength of any community is its diversity. Diversity is not just the people, it’s diversity in what we have for housing, the diversity that we have for businesses. If you look at Branford, we really have so much here in our 21 square miles, in terms of open space, shoreline, different types of industry, businesses, tourism. I think that’s why Branford is a very strong community. It’s a community where people want to stay.”

He’s energized to head up the full slate of “strong” Branford Republican candidates in the Nov. 2 municipal election, including current Selectwoman Angela Higgins, incumbent Town Clerk Lisa Arpin, tax collector candidate Robert Imperato, and treasurer candidate Deborah Conklin.

“It’s been an honor to serve the past eight years,” said Cosgrove. “I look forward to the opportunity to serve another term, and continue to work together with the community to improve our town.”