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Showing posts from October, 2025

New Council Takes Office, with Education as Top Priority

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Council members congratulate Enfield’s new mayor, Gina Cekala, at the Town Council’s Nov. 10, 2025 meeting. From left are Republicans Lori Unghire and Marie Pyznar, and joining by video, State Rep. Carol Hall. Democrats, from left, are Cynthia Mangini, Bob Cressotti, Mayor Gina Cekala, Deputy Mayor and State Rep. John Santanella, Linda Allegro, Maya Nicole Matthews, Aaron Thomas, and Zach Zannoni. The new Enfield Town Council took office Monday night, six days after a landslide Democratic victory that unseated the Republican majority, opening its term with a commitment to education funding and a promise of unity. Gina Cekala, an attorney and seven-term councilmember, was unanimously elected mayor after being nominated by Councilmember newcomer Maya Nicole Matthews, who called the moment “a turning point” for Enfield and praised women’s leadership in local government. “People are tired of drama and division,” Matthews said. “Women in Enfield turned out to vote in record numbers, and b...
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The School Audit Is Done. Why Won’t Enfield Release It Before You Vote?

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  Enfield Town Hall The town has the audit triggered by the $5.6 million shortfall in the Board of Education budget — but it won’t release it until after the election. We have an election in five days. Voters are being asked to decide on school board leadership and budget oversight without knowing what happened to $5.6 million of their money. That’s wrong. Voters deserve this information before they cast their ballots. Background During the shortfall, the Enfield Board of Education had a Democratic majority. After Republicans won control of the Town Council and Board of Education, council Republicans sharply criticized the prior board’s budget management. Board members — both Democratic and Republican — appeared before the council to explain what happened. They cited several factors: -- The state cut special-education reimbursements from above 90% to the low 60s. -- Special-education enrollment rose sharply after the budget was set. -- Other costs, including insurance, increased. A...
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The Hidden Cost of Low Tax Increases: Enfield’s Shrinking Fund Balance

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Whoever wins Tuesday’s election may soon wish they hadn’t. The new Town Council will inherit a budget crisis shaped by two converging forces: a new property revaluation and a dangerously depleted fund balance — the town’s financial cushion for emergencies and unexpected costs. How Did We Get Here?  Over the past two years, the Republican-controlled council has drawn at least $13.6 million from the fund balance to keep tax increases low.  What Is the Fund Balance? The unassigned fund balance consists of unspent money from department budgets and revenues that exceed expectations. In municipal budgeting, it serves as a safety net — covering unexpected emergencies such as sewer failures, and lawsuits. It can also be used strategically to soften tax increases, especially in revaluation years. The key word is strategically. Using reserves occasionally makes sense. Draining them year after year — especially before a revaluation — does not. What Happened Over the Past Two Years At the...
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Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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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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Calm but Powerful: Enfield’s ‘No Kings’ Protest — People Are Flowing In

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No Kings Protest Enfield What may be most striking about Enfield’s No Kings protest is how peaceful and calm it is. People are carrying homemade signs, some with dogs in tow, hugging people they know, and many waving small American flags. Drivers are blowing their horns in appreciation and support, which enlivens the crowd. Enfield’s No Kings protest began at noon. People were here well before the start, and many are still flowing in. It’s hard to say how many, but it’s in the hundreds and rising. It might top July’s protest, which reportedly drew about 700. I’ve never seen this level of political engagement and activism in Enfield. This is a classic suburban town, not prone to drama except on Facebook, but in normal life focused on school sports and things for kids to do. What are the implications of this? From a national perspective, it adds something to the conversation; from a local perspective, Democrats are hoping the anti-Trump backlash will translate into a local victory on ...
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Santannella Talks Taxes, Schools, and the Enfield Square Project in Candid Interview

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I had the chance to interview Councilmember and State Rep. John Santanella on his Cox TV show, Community Crossroads. We discussed some of the major issues in this election. One thing missing from Enfield’s election season is real discussion. There are no debates, no forums where a panel or the public can question the candidates. As a result, we usually hear more about their backgrounds and resumes than how they would tackle the town’s biggest challenges. With that in mind, Councilmember and State Rep. John Santanella invited me to interview him on his Cox TV show Community Crossroads. [ Here’s the link to the show .] Usually, he’s the one asking the questions, but this time he asked me to turn the tables and focus on town issues. I was glad to take him up on it. The questions I asked are the same ones I’d put to any candidate: the property revaluation, school funding, economic development, the Enfield Square redevelopment, outsourcing of town services, the charter-revision questions, ...
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Enfield Republicans Have Big Cash Advantage in Election, But No Guaranteed Win

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  Signs near Enfield Town Hall With only 23 days left until the Nov. 4 election, Enfield Republicans hold a substantial financial advantage over Democrats — and far more money for last-minute mailers and advertising. But Democrats have come from behind before. Fundraising Totals Show GOP in the Lead According to the latest campaign filings for the period ending Sept. 30, Republicans have raised a total of $47,022, compared to $32,014 for the Democrats. Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 20. Cash on Hand: A Critical Gap What may hurt Democrats in the final days is cash on hand: they report just $3,263, versus $24,418 for Republicans. These figures come from official state campaign-finance documents (Form 20), using: Line 17 – Total Monetary Receipts Line 19 – Expenses Paid by Committee Line 20 – Balance on Hand Different Donor Bases [ Correction ] An earlier version of this post stated that the Enfield Democrats relied mostly on local donors, while Republicans had a broader regional b...
Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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Vote ‘No’ — This Budget Referendum Politicizes Enfield and Solves Nothing

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Sample Ballot District One referendum question: Shall the Enfield Town Charter be revised as proposed by the Charter Revision Commissionand as approved by the Enfield Town Council by Resolution #7276 at its regular meeting of June 16, 2025? (Click on ballot to see clear version) On Nov. 4, voters will face a yes-or-no decision on the Charter Revision Commission's work. It's a mess of things, but only one provision matters: Should the town have an Automatic Budget Referendum? Any budget the Council approves with more than a 5% spending increase must be put to a town-wide vote This referendum question is entirely political. [ Sample ballot , and Explanatory Text ] Why it's misleading The referendum idea was hatched by Republican leadership on the Charter Commission and sold as something that will be fiscally responsible and increase voter accountability. It will do no such thing because of how the town's finances work in the real world. What really determines whether tax...
Location: Enfield, CT 06082, USA
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