Jackson, Anthony Meet for Only Debate

Democratic Mayor Scott Jackson and his Republican challenger Bob Anthony met face to face Thursday night for the only scheduled debate of the campaign season moderated by WQUN General Manager Ray Andrewsen.

About 110 people packed the Thornton Wilder Auditorium at Miller Memorial Library, many members of the Hamden Land Conservation Trust, which sponsored the debate with the Hamden/North Haven League of Women Voters.

The questions posed to the candidates revolved around environmental issues, with little mention of the fiscal issues the town is facing aside from one mention of the pension crisis by the mayor.

Both Jackson and Anthony are lifelong residents. Anthony is a retired Hamden firefighter and Jackson has worked in government for two decades, the last eight in positions in Hamden that included chief administrative officer to Mayor Craig Henrici before winning the office himself four years ago.

Anthony said that one of the most pressing environmental issues the town faces is the ramifications of the heavy traffic on town roads. 

"Hamden unfortunately has a lot of bottleneck areas and a lot of traffic in general that produces a lot of fumes," Anthony said.

Jackson agreed that traffic is a problem but pointed to the Newhall Remediation Project as the town's largest environmental problem. The first phase of the project that addresses the homes in the area is complete, he said.

"The DEEP [state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection] has two of their most significant challenges right here in Hamden," he said, referring to the Newhall Project and the Powder Farm remediation project.

Both Jackson and Anthony agreed that Quinnipiac University poses one of the most important issues for the next mayor, but not necessarily relating to the environment. 

"Quinnipiac is a great asset to the community, but that being said, its expansion is rapidly taking properties off the tax rolls," Anthony said.

"I think the critical issue with Quinnipiac is the town/gown friction," Jackson said. Starter homes in the area around the university are being rented out to students, which is causing problems for the families living around those homes.

"Starter homes are being converted into student housing and you have groups of kids living next to families," Jackson said. "It's not a situation that turns out well."

"It's a legitimate problem," Anthony said. "No one wants to buy a house when on Thursday nights the house next door is going to be filled with kids."