2023 Municipal Election – New Britain Alderman John McNamara

McNamara Thanks Voters, Supporters For Election To New Britain City Council

from McNamara 4 Council Committee

New Britain’s Ward 4 went from red to blue in the municipal election November 7 as two Democrats won seats from the Saint Francis Church, Pulaski Middle and Holmes Elementary school voting districts.

Democrats Neil Connors and John McNamara were elected and Republican Robert Smedley was re-elected under a new ward system in which each ward has three seats on the 15-member Common Council. Under New Britain’s system the new Common Council takes office and will hold its first meeting November 15th.

Democrats led by Town Chair and Mayoral Nominee Chris Anderson flipped the Common Council from a 12 to 3 Republican majority to an 8 to 7 Democratic majority in a return to bipartisan government with Mayor Erin Stewart (R) who was re-elected to a 6th two-year term.

“It’s been a rewarding experience meeting and listening to voters in Ward 4 over the last three months,” said McNamara, “I look forward to representing all residents and am grateful to the voters for this opportunity to be of public service. The primary job of a ward councilor is to be their voice in municipal government and to ensure our ward and city gets its fair share of services and resources for a good quality of life.”

“The results would not have been possible without the friends and neighbors who donated to my committee and volunteered to help with voter turnout and I thank all who supported my candidacy.”

ALDERPERSON WARD 4

Candidate	Votes	%
McNamara (D)	986	25.70%
Smedley (R)	914	23.82%
Connors (D)	874	22.78%
Thompson (R)	852	22.20%
Ortiz-Luna (IND)	133	3.47%
Connolly (IND)	78	2.03%

Official results from New Britain Ward 4 Election To Common Council

McNamara also cited the endorsement and member support from four labor unions for his candidacy including the AFT Connecticut, CSEA Local 2001, District 1199 and the Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges, SEIU Local 1973.

McNamara, the Democratic Town Chairperson from 1994 to 2016, was elected to the Board of Assessment Appeals in 2013 and previously chaired the city Building Commission. He is a recipient of the Connie Wilson Collins Service Award for Labor and Industry from the NAACP.

He worked as Institutional advancement director at Capital Community College (now emeritus) for 22 years before retiring in early 2022 and held similar positions at the University of Hartford and the Community Renewal Team (CRT) raising funds for scholarships, student services and obtaining federal grants. At Capital, McNamara was elected to the Congress of CT Community Colleges (4Cs) Local 1973, SEIU Delegate Assembly representing faculty and staff on the campus.

A 38-year resident of the neighborhoods he will now represent on the Common Council, McNamara is married to Patricia (Cacace). The McNamara’s have two grown children, Michael and Cara, and two grandchildren.

Campaigning with Shelby Anderson, Chris Anderson, Lori McAdam (Ward 2)

McNamara Calls For Accelerated Action On Storm Water Issues In New Britain’s Ward 4

Democrat John McNamara, a candidate for Ward 4 Common Council in November 7th municipal election, is urging the city to accelerate work on drainage and sewer main problems in Ward 4 and throughout the city in the aftermath of repeated flooding in neighborhoods during 2023.

“Every year for the last half dozen years funding has not been found or has gone elsewhere” said McNamara. “The city has not used available funds to fix the system’s biggest trouble spots. Residents should not have to wait another five years or more.”

McNamara cited flooding and property damages that have occurred five times in his own neighborhood on streets between Allen Street and Roxbury Road in 2023. “I have talked to residents in other neighborhoods in the ward and they have confirmed the dilapidated storm water and sewage drainage system has caused many problems.”

McNamara cited a five-year (2016-2021) analysis of natural hazards completed for the city that concluded: “Drainage infrastructure and water and sewer lines throughout the City need major upgrades……. Undersized pipes result in flooding, sewer backups, system leaks, and other problems.” According to McNamara , city officials began acknowledging the deterioration of the drainage and sewer system more than 30 years ago but bonding, state and local funds have largely gone to other capital improvement projects.

In a recent post on critical infrastructure needs in the Allen Street and Overlook Avenue areas McNamara wrote “improving the sewer and storm water system at two of its weakest points, has not been given a high priority. While other infrastructure projects have gotten attention and money in recent years, officials have told residents that they are waiting for the allocations to implement their sewer upgrades. In fiscal year 2020, for example, reconstruction of Allen Street was slated for action in 2022 at a cost of $5 million to be paid by a combination of state, federal or local funds. In the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) adopted with the municipal budget last June, the Allen Street project was put off again to 2027-2028 at an estimated cost of $6.7 million.

McNamara said the city has committed $6 million to upgrades in Allen and Overlook neighborhoods because of extreme weather in response to neighborhood complaints but has failed to use sufficient bonding or a portion of the $56 million in American Rescue Plan (Pandemic) funds to accelerate the city’s FLUSH Initiative estimated at a cost of $90 million. “Taking 20 years to implement the FLUSH program is too long to wait for homes and neighborhoods in the city’s most severe trouble spots,” said McNamara who called for more transparency in the information being provided to the public on the FLUSH program.

Saying extreme weather is a growing threat to property values and the health and safety of residents McNamara called for four steps over the next two years:

Put storm water system upgrades at the top of the city Capital Improvement list.
Use state and federal funds and bonding fairly to replace storm and sewer mains.
Increase maintenance to prevent flooding and sewer backups.
Build green infrastructure to sustain homes and neighborhoods.

Paid for by McNamara 4 Council Committee. Patricia McNamara, Treasurer. Approved by John McNamara. (Labor donated)

McNamara For Council: Advocating For Ward 4 Neighborhoods

“The primary job of the Ward 4 councilor is to be a voice in municipal government for residents who vote at Saint Francis Church, Pulaski School and Holmes School to ensure our ward gets its fair share of resources and services needed for a good quality of life.

“With your vote I will be honored to represent the neighborhoods where I have lived since 1984 and to serve a community that has been good to me and my family.”

John McNamara

Health Care Union Endorses McNamara In New Britain’s Ward 4 Council Race

Democrat John McNamara has received the endorsement of District 1199, the SEIU Union for health care workers, for a seat on the New Britain City Council from Ward 4.

McNamara is a former Democratic Town Chair and previously was elected Chair of the Board of Assessment Appeal and served as the Building Commission Chair in city government. He is running in Ward 4 in neighborhoods near Central Connecticut State University and extending out to the Brittany Farms and Batterson Park area. This year 15 Common Councilors will be elected from five wards, replacing a hybrid Council comprised of five at-large and 10 ward members.

In gaining the endorsement McNamara said he fully supports Recovery For All, a labor and community coalition working for a more progressive, statewide tax system “to stabilize unsustainable municipal finances and reduce reliance on property taxes that are hitting homeowners and tenants especially hard this year because of new assessments.”

In Connecticut, over 26,000 workers are members of District 1199. The Union represents nurses, certified nursing assistants, personal care attendants, technicians, clerical employees, service and maintenance workers, and other workers in a variety of health care settings including state services, nursing homes, home care, hospitals and community programs for the developmentally disabled.

https://mcnamara4council.org/contribute

“I am grateful to District 1199 for the endorsement and I pledge to support the union in its efforts to improve the wages and benefits of its members who deliver vital health care services in New Britain and throughout the state,” said McNamara.

In addition to District 1199 McNamara has received the endorsement of three other labor unions, CSEA Local 2001, the Congress of Ct Community Colleges and AFT Connecticut (American Federation of Teachers Connecticut).

McNamara Endorsed By 4Cs Labor Union In Bid For Ward 4 Council In New Britain

SEIU Local 1973 Represents Faculty And Staff At Community Colleges

The Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges (4Cs), representing faculty and staff at the state’s 12 community colleges, has endorsed John McNamara for a seat on the New Britain Common Council in the November 7th Election.

The endorsement was made October 14th by the 4Cs union’s Delegate Assembly after the union’s political action committee recommended McNamara citing his “dedication to community colleges and commitment to state employees.”

The union, Local 1973 affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, represents over 4,000 higher education employees in Connecticut at community colleges – now CT State – and the University of Hartford.

In receiving the endorsement McNamara said his priorities for New Britain include providing every child with a high quality education by increasing municipal and state aid to schools and ensuring that economic development and affordable housing initiatives deliver benefits and opportunities for all residents. He favors stronger partnerships between community colleges and municipalities like New Britain for early college opportunities and workforce training.

McNamara said he fully supports Recovery For All, a labor and community coalition working for a more progressive, statewide tax system “to stabilize unsustainable municipal finances and reduce reliance on property taxes that are hitting homeowners and tenants especially hard this year because of new assessments.”

“The 4Cs endorsement is especially meaningful to me knowing that the faculty and staff represented by the union deliver education and training for many first generation college students and make sustainable jobs possible for working families,” said McNamara.

McNamara is running in Ward 4 in neighborhoods near Central Connecticut State University and extending out to the Brittany Farms and Batterson Park area. Voters go to the polls at Saint Francis Church (12), Pulaski Middle School (13) and Holmes Elementary School (14) in Ward 4. This year 15 Common Councilors will be elected from five wards replacing a hybrid Council comprised of five at-large and 10 ward members.

Active in New Britain political and civic life for 35 years, McNamara is a former Democratic Town Chair (1994-2016), recruiting and endorsing candidates at the local, state and national levels. He represented the 6^th State Senate District (2016-2020) on the Democratic State Central Committee.

In New Britain, McNamara was elected to the Board of Assessment Appeals in 2013 and previously chaired the city Building Commission. He is a recipient of the Connie Wilson Collins Service Award for Labor and Industry.

McNamara worked as Institutional advancement director at Capital Community College (now emeritus) for 22 years before retiring in early 2022 and previously held a similar position at the University of Hartford raising funds for scholarships, student services and obtaining federal grants, including an Hispanic Serving Institutions grant for the community college in 2020. At Capital, McNamara served on the 4Cs Delegate Assembly.

Previously McNamara was a reporter covering local/ state government in MA and CT. He holds a B.S. degree in Journalism from Boston University and currently contributes stories to the New Britain Progressive . He created the NBPoliticus blog in 2006.

The 4Cs endorsement comes after endorsements from other labor organizations including AFT Connecticut and CSEA Local 2001.

McNamara, nominated in July by the Democratic Town Committee, has also been endorsed by New Britain’s legislative delegation: Reps. Manny Sanchez (24), Bobby Sanchez (25), Peter Tercyak (26), Gary Turco (27) and State Senator Rick Lopes (6). He is supported by the Black Democratic Committee of New Britain.

A 38-year resident of the neighborhoods he wants to represent on the Common Council, McNamara is married to Patricia (Cacace). The McNamara’s have two grown children, Michael and Cara, and two grandchildren. More information is available at https://mcnamara4council.org/contribute

McNamara Gets AFT Union Endorsement In New Britain’s Ward 4

Democrat John McNamara has been endorsed by Connecticut’s American Federation of Teachers (AFT Connecticut) for a seat on New Britain Common Council in the November 7 Municipal Election.

McNamara is a former Democratic Town Chair and previously was elected Chair of the Board of Assessment Appeal and served as the Building Commission Chair in city government. McNamara is running in Ward 4 in neighborhoods near Central Connecticut State University and extending out to the Brittany Farms and Batterson Park area. This year 15 Common Councilors will be elected from five wards replacing a hybrid Council comprised of five at-large and 10 ward members.

AFT Connecticut, a 30,000-member labor organization, represents teachers, school related personnel including paraprofessionals, state employees, healthcare workers, and higher education faculty and staff in the public and private sector. Teachers and paraprofessionals in the New Britain School District are represented by Local 871, the New Britain Federation of Teachers (NBFT).

McNamara received AFT Connecticut’s support because of his “commitment to working families and advocating for issues that are important to AFT Connecticut’s members.”

“I am grateful to AFT Connecticut for the endorsement,” said McNamara. “New Britain needs advocates on the Common Council to provide every child with a high quality education and to ensure that education gets a fair share of local and state aid. Funding for public education needs to be equitable regardless of zip code.”

McNamara said the endorsement reflects his support for economic development and housing initiatives that deliver benefits and opportunities for all residents. “We need to make New Britain affordable for working families and retirees,” said McNamara. “That means fighting high property taxes and fees caused by revaluation and curbing excessive tax breaks for out of town interests.”

McNamara has also been endorsed by the Service Employees International Union’s CSEA Local 2001, the Black Democratic Committee of New Britain and New Britain’s legislative delegation including Reps. Manny Sanchez (24), Bobby Sanchez (25), Peter Tercyak (26), Gary Turco (27) and State Senator Rick Lopes (6).

CSEA Union Endorses McNamara For New Britain’s Common Council

The Connecticut State Employees Association, CSEA-SEIU Local 2001 endorsed John McNamara, a Democratic nominee for New Britain’s Common Council in Ward 4, in the November 7th municipal election.

CSEA SEIU Local 2001 is a union representing Connecticut state, municipal and private employees and retirees and is part of the Service Employees International Union.

McNamara received the endorsement of the labor organization after sharing his priorities for the city. They include providing every child with a high quality education by increasing municipal and state aid to schools and ensuring that economic development and affordable housing initiatives deliver benefits and opportunities for residents.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement from a union that represents employees providing critical public services for the health, education and safety of residents in New Britain and across the state,” said McNamara.

McNamara, a former Democratic Town Chairperson, was elected to the Board of Assessment Appeals in 2013 and previously chaired the city Building Commission. He is a recipient of the Connie Wilson Collins Service Award for Labor and Industry from the NAACP.

New Britain’s Ward 4 is the area that includes the neighborhoods near Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) spreading north and west to Brittany Farms and Batterson Park. Voters at Saint Francis Church (12) Holmes Elementary School (13) and Pulaski Middle School (14) will elect three Council members from Ward 4 this year.

For more information: Mcnamara4Council@gmail.com