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Showing posts from February, 2024

Enfield Set for Biggest Housing and Population Growth in Decades

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Open space and existing homes — the balance Enfield must navigate as new housing proposals emerge. Enfield is quietly on the verge of its largest housing expansion in decades. Over the past several years, the town has approved or is reviewing projects that together could add nearly 1,400 units — most of them smaller, rental apartments. If built, these developments would bring about 2,300 to 2,600 new residents to town. The town needs this new housing. Enfield's population is flat. It's getting older. Young people are declining. Our job market growth is flat. (see appendix)  Young People Are Key Without young people, Enfield will face a long and persistent decline and soaring taxes. We're surrounded by communities that help underpin our commercial sector that are seeing similar demographic shifts. Enfield Has 5,000 Fewer Residents Than in 1970 In 1970, our population was 46,200. The U.S. includes prisoners in the local population, but our prison population at that time was n...
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Enfield Democrats are in big trouble

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Despite leading in voter registrations, the Enfield Democratic Town Committee seems to lack a winning election strategy. Until the 2021 election, the Republicans had controlled the Town Council for 14 years straight. But in that year, the Democrats secured seven of the 11 council seats, a significant victory. However, last November, voters reinstated the Republicans to control the Town Council. The Democrats have not fully come to terms with the magnitude of this loss. Some Democrats claim they lost the election by about one percent—a figure apparently obtained by aggregating all votes cast for every candidate, from Council to Constable. This perspective, however, amounts to self-deception. The Democrats were decisively defeated in the Town Council election, with a voting margin exceeding 8%. In essence, they were soundly beaten, but the situation is even more dire. In their most recent campaign finance filing, the Democrats reported contributions totaling $12,485. In contrast, the Rep...
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