Supervisor Candidate:
Jonathan Kilday is running for Hamden Town Supervisor on the Democratic line, seeking to fill the shoes of long-time Democratic supervisor Wayne Marshfield, who is retiring in November. After over a decade as part time residents here, Jonathan and his partner could no longer resist the beauty of the landscape and the rhythm of small town life. So, 4 years ago they put down permanent roots in Hamden—a town of green hills with the storied West Branch of the Delaware River running through it. Jonathan “semi-retired” from his business, MK Workshop, an interior design company with offices in Brooklyn and Austin, Texas. He credits his strong company team for making it possible for him to now devote his attention, his skills and experience to benefit Hamden.
Although a relative newcomer to the town of Hamden, Jonathan is not calling for big change. In fact, he is committed to preserving the town’s quality of rural life and strengthening community connections. Jonathan considers large scale development such as data centers unsuitable for the town. He believes that the desire to preserve the precious resources of the town is shared by town residents. When out knocking on doors and meeting voters, Jonathan has heard people express concerns that they don’t know what is going on in the town. If elected, Jonathan would redesign the town’s website so that residents could easily find information about town business giving them more opportunities to be involved in the town’s direction.
Jonathan recognizes the constraints that small municipalities face in balancing budgets without raising taxes. He refers to his extensive experience in negotiating contracts, navigating permitting requirements and keeping costs down. As an entrepreneur, Jonathan has had to “think outside of the box” and will bring that approach to his role as supervisor. He believes that sharing goods and services with surrounding towns should be fully explored. Jonathan has experience in researching and applying for grants. He’ll put those skills to work in searching for opportunities to fund community projects and services.
As a small business owner, he is particularly interested in strengthening the town’s small business sector. Since moving to Hamden, he has seen town businesses open and close in a relatively short period of time. He wants to dig deeper into the reasons these businesses have not thrived. He points to his own track record of building successful small businesses and hopes to use that experience to identify barriers and provide support to entrepreneurs in Hamden.
Part of the charm of small town life is the sense of community, neighbors helping neighbors. Jonathan believes much more could be done to bolster Hamden’s community cohesiveness. He points to the number of elderly residents of Hamden who could use some help with yard work and other chores. He envisions a volunteer program where young people could assist their older neighbors. The Hamden baseball field and the Hamden Museum are both community resources that could inspire civic involvement.
Jonathan emphasizes the town supervisor’s responsibility to serve as the town’s chief executive while also representing the town on the County Board of Supervisors. (The FAQ on his website gives a nifty summary of this four-pronged job.) According to Jonathan, Hamden needs a supervisor who will actively advocate for Hamden’s interests on the county level. Not easily intimidated, Jonathan intends to make Hamden’s voice heard.
Over the last five months, as he’s attended town board and planning board meetings, Jonathan’s been impressed by the talented and passionate people who serve on these boards. If elected, he looks forward to working with all town officials in a nonpartisan way to preserve the beauty and charm of Hamden while strengthening small businesses and community cohesion. Jonathan believes in an “open door” policy for the town supervisor. If elected, he’ll respond to constituent requests for help and will work individually with town residents to answer questions and resolve problems.
For more information on Jonathan’s campaign, go to www.kilday4hamden.com.