Brown: Do not abandon plans for mall site

From city Councilor Calvin Brown:

As I was unable to fit my comments in at the end of the public hearing Tuesday night, I am releasing this statement in the hopes that my views on downtown redevelopment – as they stand right now – may be clear for my constituents.

First and foremost, I consider downtown redevelopment to be one of the most pressing issues of our time. In order to improve the quality of life for everyone, we need to attract more middle class families to live in our city, grow our tax base, and spur new economic activity at new, thriving, easily accessible businesses. Our top-rate school system, central location, and medium-size-town atmosphere make us an attractive option for young families, but we’re missing a few other key elements young people often look for when considering a place to live.

Chief among these considerations: a vibrant and walkable downtown. This vision can be realized in the City of Bristol. Retail, public green-space, and competitive housing are elements that I believe can truly revitalize our downtown area. For now, Renaissance is not only the singular company that has shown an interest in developing the downtown lot with this sort of focus, they are the only company that’s shown an interest in development – period. It is my belief that it is in the city’s best interest by far to continue to work with Renaissance to revise and refocus our efforts in good faith. To the many members of the public that disagree with assigning city dollars to the project: I hear you. To the many members of the public who say let’s give them the money and just get started: I hear you, too. But for now, Renaissance is willing to look at other options that do not include city money, and we need to let them try that.

In a perfect world I would prefer to see the City build the piazza ourselves, build the road through the parcel that will be required for future development, and commit to other infrastructure improvements surrounding downtown that will make the space more viable and attractive to investors and potential businesses. These are the investments every great community makes in themselves, and perhaps that is a more appropriate use of public money.

To members of the public that ask for a public referendum on the issue: I believe that until we have a plan to even potentially propose on a ballot, it is too soon to talk of a public referendum. If the plan can move ahead without any city money, a referendum won’t be necessary. If the plan cannot move ahead without city money, then the discussion of a public referendum will have to take place.

Regardless, however, as one of your elected officials I must make my position perfectly clear: the gigantic importance of revitalizing our downtown to get it thriving again makes the cost of doing nothing much too high. For now, that empty lot is a hole in our heart that requires thoughtful, surgical care. Abandoning this process now and delaying any movement there for an indeterminate amount of time could send our city into cardiac arrest. Getting the project moving, on the other hand – with new people and new businesses and new attractions in the heart of our great city – could beat new life into our veins.

One day, when I stroll the streets of my hometown with my own children, I want to be able to look them in the eye and say “look at what the people in our city came together to accomplish. Look at the heart of Bristol, which we strengthened for you.”

I don’t want to show them a seventeen acre graveyard of what could have been, and mutter softly, “I’m sorry.”

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Brown says he won't cave to condescending mayor

Mayor Ken Cockayne and city Councilor Calvin Brown clashed at this week's Police Board meeting. See the story here. Here's an open letter from Brown with his take on what it all means:

The Mayor recently attacked me at a public meeting for being someone who “does not pay property taxes.” His condescension has been directed at me and other colleagues many times. As we all know, after all, the Mayor’s favorite catch phrase is “Because I’m the Mayor and I said so!” With an ego that big – let’s face it – a little condescension every now and again is to be expected.

But since his comments were particularly personal in nature and irrelevant to the discussion at hand at the time he made them, I feel compelled to make a public disclosure:

Yes – I still live at home with my mother. No – I do not own my own home. While the Mayor seems to think this makes me less of a person, I think it makes me a prime example of the generation that will soon be taking the reins in society: in business, in government, in academia. Plus, the Mayor drastically underestimates the burden of my own personal circumstances. Like so many people of my generation, I come from a household with divorced parents. Since my parents’ divorce in 2009 (at the height of the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression, mind you), I have had to work to earn money to help make ends meet around the house. My mother and I shared the financial burden that comes along with trying to put food on the table, keep the lights on and the water flowing in the house, and planning for the future at a time when things seemed despairingly uncertain. On top of all this, we had to figure out what on earth we were going to do when it came time for me to go to college.

                Luckily for me, I was able to manage notable scholastic achievement, and when I graduated high school in 2011 I got accepted into the Honors program at Central Connecticut State University. In the program, any student that can complete the increased rigor of the coursework and still maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher is privy to a full academic scholarship. I’m truly privileged to say I was able to do that, and I will graduate from college this upcoming December without any student loan-debt.

This privilege has enabled me to continue to work, and use all of the money I earn to support my family when it’s needed. Working with my mother and now my brother, we are able to all pool our resources together so that we can keep food on the table, and we can repair our cars, and we can keep the lights on in our home. No, Mayor, I don’t own a home or pay my own property taxes. But the only reason me and my family have been able to stay in our home is because we work with one another to make ends meet.

The Mayor seems to think I should be ashamed of that; that my voice and experience doesn’t matter. But I say to the Mayor and to everyone else – young or old – that’s ever found themselves in a situation like mine: I’m proud of what I’ve been able to do to help my family, and I do know what it’s like to struggle to make ends meet. My voice does matter. Our voice matters.

Yes, the Mayor thinks that people who don’t pay property taxes don’t matter. But I think to disregard the voices of thousands of young up-and-comers in our city simply because they do not yet pay property taxes is penny-wise and pound-foolish (… then again, that does seem to be the Mayor’s idea of ‘fiscal conservatism’). Young people should be encouraged to exercise their voice in government. They should be encouraged to be involved! And they do matter, whether they own homes yet or not.

I just want to say to the Mayor: you can be as disgusted as you want with what I have to say about the city’s public policy and the expenditure of taxpayer resources. You can insinuate all you want that my voice doesn’t matter because to you it appears as though I don’t yet pay property taxes. But Mayor, I don’t work for you. I work with you. And I will use my voice for my constituents whether it annoys you or not.

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Democrats fire back on referendum issue

Democratic city Councilors Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, Calvin Brown and Mary Fortier issued this statement late Tuesday:

Democratic Response to the Republican Town Committee’s recent “Let the Public Decide” press release

  

Petty politics and overly dramatic phrases will do little to further this debate on downtown’s future. Our comments concerning the referendum were based in two facts: the City of Bristol has never governed by referendum and to date, we are not convinced that a non-binding referendum on a non-ordinance related item is proper.

The primary question is is it appropriate for the City of Bristol to invest public money to kick-start the initial phase of a private investment?

  

Following dozens of meetings and forums, and accumulating voluminous input since this downtown development project was first proposed almost 10 years ago, we have reached the point where hard decisions need to be made.

So the secondary question is, “should the question be put to referendum or should we rely on the experience and knowledge of our elected officials?”

These are two complex questions that invite thoughtful public policy debate. But not questions that require, or will be resolved, by the petty political bickering offered by the Republican Town Chairman Derek Cenzelewski..

  

It is our opinion that a call for a non-binding referendum is yet another move by the local Republicans to not make a decision. Mr. Cenzelzewski’s effort to twist our words showcases political opportunism at its worst.

There has been a glaringly obvious lack of reports from Republican Council members concerning items of importance at monthly City Council meetings and in fact, when Democrats give reports, they are accused of “grandstanding” or “talking too much.”

Councilman Martin serves as liaison to the Field Study Committee, the Board of Education, the Downtown Development Corporation and the city’s Marketing Task Force – 4 committees that have major budget and policy impact yet until last month, he has stayed silent during Committee reports. Ironically,

Councilman Martin has also neither fulfilled his role of communicating back to the Council on downtown issues nor has he endorsed the idea of a public referendum, yet Mr. Czezelewski ignores these facts. Again, a clear indication of his motivation: petty political bickering.

To recap some of Mr. Czenzelewski’s  outlandish allegations, here is what we believe:

•    We know our role is to listen to our constituents and make ourselves available to them in a variety of ways including at public events, via social media, email, and open office hours. In fact, the Democratic council members are the only ones to have held office hours to hear from our constituents, this past year.

•    Councilwoman Fortier does have an opinion. She is also a lawyer by profession and deals in facts. As the minority party, we are not included on the current talks with the Renaissance discussions. Some of these concerns were addressed by the mayor in executive session last week when the mayor realized we had not received certain information and promised the Council it would be circulated shortly.

•    The city did not hold meetings in the “middle of the night” in 2005; nor do they do so now. That’s just a lie. But here’s a fact, many city meetings are held to accommodate key members of the Republican administration with disregard to the Democratic members’ schedules or the public, which typically can’t make meetings that are held when most people are still working.

•    There was a large amount of public input and open meetings in 2005 concerning the fate of the 17 acre parcel. Ideas considered and discarded based on public reaction at that time included using the site for a field house and new Boys and Girls Club, a school to replace the O’Connell neighborhood school. Ironically, after 8 years with little to no progress, 2 of those years in which Mr. Czezelewski served on the City Council, there are many people who now look back on those proposals and wish that those ideas had come to fruition.

Democracy doesn’t stop at the ballot box. It requires constant conversation. Creating and recreating the image of what we as a community want our city to be is a work in progress. Bristol residents have contributed to the discussion on the future of downtown for years. That conversation is not over nor is it right for us, as city councilors now, to abdicate our responsibility. To do so would ignore what the voters sent us as their elected Councilors, to do.

Submitted By:

Calvin Brown, District 1

Mary Fortier, District 3

Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, District 3

In addition, Fortier sent this along:

I want to take this opportunity to clarify my recent comments about a possible referendum on Depot Square.  Steve Collins correctly quoted me saying that I am not privy to anything and I don’t know whether there should be a referendum.  First, neither the Charter of the City of Bristol nor its ordinances has any provision for a referendum on a spending or bonding issue.  And certainly not on matters of economic development. Unlike many New England towns and cities, we do not use the town meeting or referendum for the yearly general budget or bonding issues, instead we have a Finance Board and City Council.  And, the Finance Board has more members as a check to the City Council on financial matters.  I didn’t create our system of government but I am part of it and I work within that system. 

            The BDDC, Bristol Downtown Development Corporation, was created as a special quasi-public entity to oversee the development of the 17-acre parcel we call Depot Square.  They have a “preferred developer agreement”, or contract, with Renaissance Downtowns which sets out the steps for developing the property. To date, the only thing the BDDC has asked the Council to do was grant an extension for a revised financial plan to be submitted. That extension was granted unanimously in May. I didn’t create the process but I respect the process. The BDDC was added to give extra attention, consideration, and expertise to this important issue.

 I have attended several BDDC meetings and public comment sessions since I was elected. I was not at the last BDDC meeting where the “referendum idea got floated”.  The notice of that meeting was not on the city’s website and no email notification that it was happening was sent. As a result I am not privy to the context with which the idea of a referendum was raised.  No explanation has been provided as to what the basis or authority for a referendum question, much less what the actual question would be. Yet it’s been said that a referendum would be appropriate because the city was being asked for financial support to the project.    

   Since the Council granted the extension, the mayor and Republican controlled city council have not kept us informed on further discussions. Outside counsel hired by the Mayor and City Council have not been given formal opportunities to have conversations with myself and my fellow Democrats.  My fellow Council member Calvin Brown sent an email on June 25 asking for an update on those discussions and he still hasn’t received a reply to the email. I still have lots of questions.  There is no finalized proposal so I don’t think a referendum now would even be appropriate.  And, why have a non-binding referendum?  What is the point of that?   

 I support the overall plan for Depot Square: multiple buildings with mixed use residential units, retail offices, restaurants, and of course a piazza.  I came into office being presented this plan and want to do all I can to make it work.  I want a vibrant exciting downtown, but more importantly I want a strong stable tax base. The more value built on Depot Square the more taxes the city will collect leaving less tax increases for city residents.  The value of Bristol, our community, as a whole will increase.

I share a frustration that the April proposal by Renaissance Downtowns contains a request for bonding or public money from the city. It makes what is already a complicated project more complicated.  It makes decisions by the BDDC and the Council harder. But it is, according to the current process a question for the BDDC and Council. 

The city spends many millions of dollars each year and with that try to plan and build for our future.  We have spent millions on new schools, we are planning a multimillion dollar new firehouse, before the year is out we will probably authorize spending more than a million on our first synthetic athletic field, and in the near future we will be spending millions upgrading our police communications system. Hopes that development of Depot Square would be funded by private dollars is dictated by the realities we as city leaders face daily. That doesn’t exclude considering a portion be funded with public dollars.  Or that the Mayor and City Council ignore their role as representatives of the public interest.

My constituents ask me when something is going to happen in Depot Square.  When I ran for office I told voters I hoped for something sooner rather than later.  Many voters are not familiar with all components of the process or even what has been proposed, but want to see activity downtown again. My preferences for the priorities of the city whether Depot Square or a new turf or a new firehouse or a new field are just my opinions, they are all part of a bigger process. 

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

The last man standing? Calvin Brown, city councilor

At last week's Joint Board meeting, where city councilors and Board of Finance members hold a session together to give final approval to items they've already endorsed, there weren't enough chairs for everyone. So first-term city Councilor Calvin Brown volunteered to go without. That's him standing there between city Councilor Eric Carlson and finance commissioner Derek Czenczelewski.
Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City councilors divided on whether to back cafeteria workers

A sharply divided City Council declined Tuesday to take a stand in favor of the school cafeteria workers who may be replaced by a private food services firm.

The council’s three Democrats supported a move to call on the Board of Education to abandon any legal appeals and focus instead on working with the union representing the 53 cafeteria employees who are slated to lose their jobs in the privatization bid.

Calvin Brown

But the four Republicans, including Mayor Ken Cockayne, opted to sidestep a direct vote and instead backed a motion to postpone indefinitely any action on city Councilor Calvin Brown’s resolution asking the Board of Education to cease fighting with the union.

Brown said the GOP council members “don’t want to take a stand” and chose instead to shirk a vote. He accused them of “acting out of cowardice” instead of standing by the cafeteria workers.

City Councilor Eric Carlson, a Republican, said he believed that requesting any action by the school panel would be “a little bit overstepping our bounds.”

“I don’t have a dog in this fight,” Carlson said.

Another councilor, Republican Henri Martin, made the motion to table Brown’s resolution. He said he did not think the council should interfere with a school board choice.

“Let them settle this. This is not our fight,” said Martin, who is seeking election to the 31^st District state Senate seat representing Bristol, Plainville, Plymouth, Thomaston and most of Harwinton.

At its Wednesday meeting, the school board plans to discuss whether to appeal a decision last month by the state Board of Labor Relations that ordered it to honor the tentative agreement it negotiated with the union. The school board had decided to drop the deal and hire a private cafeteria operator instead, a decision made along partisan lines by its Republican majority.

City Councilor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, a Democrat, said the $140,000 the school board has already spent on legal fees trying to push privatization would have been better used for classroom needs.

The other Democratic councilor, Mary Fortier, said the GOP majority’s refusal to take a clear vote was “a cowardly way of getting out” of making their positions clear.

But Cockayne, who said during last year’s mayoral race that he opposed the cafeteria privatization, said the mayor and council “have zero to do with Board of Ed contracts” and shouldn’t take a formal position.

“It’s not our say,” the mayor said, adding that councilors “would be pretty peeved” if the school board sought to tell them what to do.

 Brown said the council has a duty to try to protect the 53 cafeteria workers whose “lives are being toyed with” by a school board that made an “unjust or illegal” decision to ignore the deal it negotiated with the union.

The school board meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the auditorium of the district headquarters at 129 Church St.

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Brown is 'saddened and disturbed' by privatization move

Statement released by city Councilor Calvin Brown about the Board of Education's decision last night to privatize school cafeterias:

I'm saddened and disturbed by the decision made by the Republicans on the Board of Education last night to privatize our school cafeteria workers. It shows a lack of respect for people's jobs and livelihood; neglect for our students and, really, our community at large; it shows an overall ineptitude for leadership to allow a private corporation to come into our schools and interact with our children on a regular basis.

Whitson's - the out-of-state company the BOE has chosen to contract with - has several law suits pending against them. They have not committed to hiring the current cafeteria workers who will be displaced. We still do not know if the company performs background checks on the employees they do hire - and therefore we will not know who is feeding lunch to our students. Again, I am saddened and disturbed by this.

The Republicans on the BOE have shown they do not understand what it really takes to care for our kids. If they did, they would see these grave concerns as the threat to community and safety that they really are. Instead, the Republicans on the Board of Education see only dollar signs.

Alas, I do believe that their inability to bargain in good faith, their inability to think critically, and their inability to lead responsibly will come back to haunt them: in court, at future meetings, and come the next election cycle.

I only pray that in the meantime our kids don't have to pay the price for the Board of Education's ineptitude.

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Full-day kindergarten has some support at City Hall

Following a budget hearing Thursday, city leaders expressed some support for the Board of Education’s bid to switch to full-day kindergarten next fall.

“It’s absolutely worth the money,” said city Councilor Calvin Brown. “It’s like making a choice between the 21^st century and the Dark Ages.”

The school board is seeking an extra $1.9 million as part of its spending requests to fund a changeover from half-day to full-day kindergarten, a move that would triple the current two hours a day of instructional time, according to Superintendent EIlen Solek.

“We have to understand that’s a very, very small portion of the budget,” said city Councilor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu, a proponent of the move.

But it’s not clear that the proposal will win over a majority of city councilors and Board of Finance members who have to weigh the idea as part of a proposed $111.4 million education budget that would cost taxpayers $7.1 million more than the schools received this year.

“That’s a lot of money,” said city Councilor Eric Carlson. “The numbers kind of scare me a little bit.”

Derek Czenczelewski, a finance commissioner and former councilor, said he’s sure that a lot of young families would like to see the city adopt full-day kindergarten.

But, he said, officials “have to weigh it carefully” given the high cost and the impact on the minimum budget requirement that makes it nearly impossible for the city to reduce education funding from the previous year’s total.

Solek said the school budget as a whole was developed “thoughtfully, carefully and slowly” to cover rising costs and essential needs.

It includes some money to add middle school sports back into the mix, but at least two city leaders expressed frustration that it couldn’t also find money to restore the music and arts funding that was chopped during the recession.

Both Carlson and Finance Chairwoman Cheryl Thibeault said that children with an artistic bent should also have opportunities.

The main new initiative, though, is the school board’s call to join 77 percent of Connecticut districts by offering full-day kindergarten.

Solek said it would be “the most important thing that we can do for the city itself” because it would spur young families to move to Bristol who might otherwise go elsewhere.

“We need to stay competitive,” she said, and to keep educational achievement on the rise in a district where half the children in first grade or younger are eligible for free or reduced school lunches.

Brown said he also believes the kindergarten change is “one of the most important investments the city can make.”

He said it will help families who are trying to decide “where to plant their roots and build their lives.”

Copyright 2014 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Some notable things delivered by voters today

1. They elected the youngest City Council member ever. Calvin Brown turned 21 in September. 2. Astonishingly, this will be the first time a City Council district has two women representing it. It may well be the first time the council has had two women serving simultaneously. Though the count may slightly off, there are only seven women who have ever made the cut. 3. Ken Cockayne will be the first Republican mayor other than William Stortz in the past three decades. 4. The constables elected today will be the last ones ever elected since voters also agreed to cease electing constables. 5. There won't be anyone on the council who has served on the council during Cockayne's first two terms as a city councilor, 2007-2011. 6. With Mayor Art Ward's departure, there won't be anyone who served as an elected official in the 20th century. 7. Ellen Zoppo-Sassu served three terms as a 2nd District councilor between 2001 and 2007 but will be representing the 3rd District this time around. Her house didn't move, but the district lines did.
Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Candidate returns home after three-hour CCSU lockdown

City Council candidate Calvin Brown was among the many students caught in the lockdown.

Brown, 21, said he was about to leave his final class of the day, in politics and religion, when word came down that everyone had to remain in place.

Brown said students “used social media and live internet feeds” to stay updated about events on campus. He said they felt frustrated by all the conflicting reports.

Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Candidate caught in CCSU lockdown

Democratic City Council candidate Calvin Brown is apparently trapped in a classroom at Central Connecticut State University, which is under lockdown because of an emergency situation that police haven't yet detailed. Brown, 21, is a junior honors student at the university.
Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Murphy campaigns with Jeffries, Brown

U.S. Sen Chris Murphy campaigning with Democratic City Council hopefuls Steve Jeffries, left, and Calvin Brown, right.

Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Fuller: Election Calvin Brown to council

Letter from former city Councilor and one-time mayoral candidate Kevin Fuller:

I am writing today to show my full support for Calvin Brown for City Council District 1. I have known Calvin for over 5 years and he has shown me his desire to work in a municipal leadership position. Calvin has the foresight to see problems that may be on the horizon and know how to find a solution for the problem. His skills in knowing what the youth of Bristol needs and wants is right up his ally. Calvin most of all is a good listener; he makes sure he understands your problem or needs by giving you his full attention and then decides how best to tackle the problem. As a former City Councilman is this district I feel strongly that he is the man to best lead us as we come out of the recovery of the recession and make the right choices to keep Bristol Strong. I ask you join me in electing Calvin Brown for City Council District 1.

Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Ward backs one Republican, one Democrat

Outgoing Democratic Mayor Art Ward said Monday he has endorsed two candidates in this fall's election: City Council hopefuls Rich Miecznikowski and Calvin Brown. Ward said that Miecznikowski, chairman of the Board of Finance, has worked with him in a bipartisan manner for the past six years to cope with the fiscal problems created by the 2007 recession. He said Miecznikowski, a Republican seeking a 2nd District council seat, has proven his commitment to good government and steered clear of politics in his decision-making. Ward said he has also endorsed Brown, a 1st District Democrat, because he thinks the 20-year-old is well-spoken and thoughtful. He said he has long been impressed by Brown's ability to speak his mind. Ward said he likes the fact that Brown represents a younger generation that too often doesn't get included in municipal deliberations.
Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Council hopeful Calvin Brown calls for civility on campaign trail

Democratic city Council candidate Calvin Brown sent this out a few days ago, but I forgot to post it:

“No More Distractions”

Bullies hiding behind screen names do not represent this city. Cowards who anonymously mail un-funny, not-clever, poorly and cheaply designed cartoons poking fun at others do not represent this city. Alleged gang-banging, foolish criminals who throw away a great career do not represent this city.

I am born and raised in Bristol. I had a safe upbringing and I received a quality education with the best possible teachers in Bristol. This is a worthy community with potential unmatched by any other city I’ve ever known. The people here are diverse in every sense of the word. They are kind, hardworking, and looking forward to a better day for themselves, their families, and their community. These people— the men and women I grew up with; the ones I went to school with; and the ones I meet traveling through the streets of this city—they are the people who represent Bristol.

Bristol is—now more than ever—in critical need of a more positive attitude and more focused leadership. Revitalization downtown cannot and will not be successful unless it is a city-wide priority that everyone can understand, believe in, and see in progress. Our streets cannot and will not be cleaned up until we address blight, hold landlords accountable for the properties they own in this city, and stand with the citizens of Bristol who are concerned about the quality of life for all people across our community. Our government cannot and will not become more efficient until we have a serious and honest conversation about the quality of services we provide, the way we treat our public employees, and the coordination of information between city department heads.

Real issues that affect real people are staring us in the face this year. I don’t know a single candidate this year—Democrat or Republican—that doesn’t want to talk about them. So let’s all do our best to forget the distractions, stay positive, and get talking.

 Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Brown garners endorsements from young Democrats

Press release from City Council hopeful Calvin Brown:

"Brown Picks Up Youth Endorsements"

City Council Candidate Calvin Brown (Bristol 1) is the latest candidate to pick up an endorsement from the Northwest Connecticut Young Democrats. In addition to their endorsement, Brown addressed a crowd of young Democrats last month at the annual Connecticut High School Democrats' State Convention where he received their endorsement as well.

In his remarks, Brown, 20, indicated that he wanted more young people to become active in politics. "Our generation holds the key to 21st century knowledge and skills," Brown said, "working together hand in hand with the generations that come before us-- across the communities where we live, work and go to school-- our generation can lead the way to success and prosperity in this ever changing world."

Calvin Brown

The Connecticut High School Democrats, as well as the Northwest Connecticut Young Democrats, are among the first youth oriented groups to endorse Brown in his bid for a seat on the City Council this year. "I've known Calvin since we went to Boys State in 2010. He's always been bright, energetic, and passionate about public service,” said Edward Corey, Secretary of the Northwest Connecticut Young Dems, “if anyone can get voters excited about their city, it's Calvin."

"I am running for City Council because I believe that Bristol's best days are ahead of it. I believe I can bring a new perspective and new experience to the City Council that will help the city to envision and attain its long term goals."

Brown added that his experience of having to work while seeing himself through college is reflective of the struggle many families throughout the community face. "I've grown accustomed to working and going to school simultaneously, as many of us have. I'm not afraid to learn and at the same time do the hard work that will be required of me to serve my constituents well."

This year's municipal elections will be on Tuesday, November 5th. Citizens will elect a new mayor, six city council persons, a treasurer, three members of the Board of Assessment Appeals, and town constables.

#30

Full disclosure: My son is a former president of the Connecticut High School Democrats. My daughter is the organization's chief parliamentarian.

  Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Brown's address to the Democratic Town Committee

Here's the prepared text for City Council hopeful Calvin Brown's address to the Democratic Town Committee last night:

Hello everyone. My name is Calvin Brown. I am a lifelong resident of Bristol; a 2011 graduate of Bristol Eastern High School; and a rising junior at Central Connecticut State University, studying Political Science in the Honors Program.

I believe this city needs new leaders and new ideas. Younger generations need to be engaged and invested in this city's long term health and prosperity. That’s why, as someone who is committed to this city and the true ideals of public service, I gladly declare my candidacy for City Council in Bristol’s first district.

The City of Bristol, as well as the state, the country, and the rest of the world is in a period of transition. This city will need to be in a position of relevance to the new economic climate. We will need to capitalize on our assets, visualize our future, and ensure our long-term health and prosperity.

Some naysayers may claim that I am too young or inexperienced to lead the charge. I disagree. The truth of the matter is that the major changes we see all around us in the world today have been driven by the technological savvy and innovative spirit of the younger generation.

Bristol needs new leaders and new ideas. Younger generations need to be engaged in decisions about the City’s future. That’s why I’m a supporter of Bristol Rising and the Renaissance downtown revitalization efforts. It is important to note that much of the business plan upon which this project is based is dependent on appealing to young up-and-comers. I feel that my age gives me a unique advantage over any other Council candidate as far as being able to help the city reach the very people it will be relying on to attain these long term goals.

One of the best ways to ensure a healthy future for Bristol is to invest in education. I believe that Bristol’s schools are this city’s greatest assets. If you’ll give me the chance to be on the City Council, then the elected members of our Board of Education can count on me to be a reliable and supportive ally to our teachers, school faculty, parents, and students all across this city. I believe that the young people of our community are the future. Investing in them now will pay off tomorrow.

I’m a student of government. I believe in the power of democracy.  I believe elected officials have the moral responsibility to serve their offices and their constituencies with integrity and honesty. As a Democrat, I believe we should treat our public servants with dignity and respect. In fact, we should treat all our citizens with decency, and we need to provide an opportunity for our brothers and sisters all across this city the opportunity to garner for themselves the best life possible; and a platform from which they can voice their concerns about the city.

I don’t have all the answers. I don’t know everything there is to know. But I do know I can act with integrity and honesty. I know I can bring energy, enthusiasm, and experience to this office. And I know I can learn about the things I do not know. I’ll seek the advice and the input of any of you who would be willing to give it to me.

I ask you for your support in this endeavor, by considering me for your vote as a member of the City Council from Bristol’s first District. If you're interested in supporting my candidacy or learning more, please like me on Facebook at “Calvin Brown for City Council-Bristol 1st” and/or follow me on Twitter @calvin4council.

Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Another council hopeful: Calvin Brown

Democrat Calvin Brown has jumped into the race for a 1st District City Council seat.

Calvin Brown

Brown, 20, announced his entry into the race this weekend with the creation of a Facebook page for his campaign. On his own page, Brown wrote, "We need to show how excited people are about our generation taking the lead. it STARTS here, and ENDS in the White House." The only other candidate to formally enter the contest is Republican Tom Hick, who also declared his intention to run recently on Facebook.
Incumbent GOP city Councilor Eric Carlson has not said whether he will seek a second term. The other incumbent, Democrat Mayra Sampson, promised she would not run for the part-time post when Mayor Art Ward tapped her to fill a vacancy created when Democrat Kevin Fuller resigned on May 1.
Despite his young age, Brown has been active in city politics for years. He ran unsuccessfully for a Board of Education seat two years ago.
Brown is a political science student at Central Connecticut State University. He graduated from Bristol Eastern High School in 2011.
He plans to declare his candidacy at Tuesday's Democratic Town Committee meeting, a session that may see the emergence of a handful of candidates, among them Chris Wilson, who plans to announce his mayoral bid there.
Full disclosure: My son and Calvin are friends who serve together on U.S. Rep. John Larson's Youth Cabinet.


Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com