2025 Patch Profile: Brian FX Connolly, Farmington Town Council Chairman

FARMINGTON, CT — Farmington Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Brian FX Connolly is running for the Farmington Town Council chairman as a Democrat. He is running against incumbent Republican Farmington Town Council Chairman Joe Capodiferro.

The following is Brian FX Connolly's questionnaire sent to Patch:

Candidate's Name: Brian FX Connolly

What office are you seeking? Farmington Town Council Chair

What town do you live in? Farmington

Campaign Website: https://farmingtondemocrats.org/2025-farmington-democratic-candidates/

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Occupation: Dementia care engagement marketing

Family: For nearly 30 years, my wife Denise and I have proudly called Farmington home. It’s where we raised our two daughters, both graduates of Farmington’s public schools.

Like so many families here, we built our lives around school, sports, and community.

I coached my daughter’s soccer team, and Denise and I volunteered at swim meets for years.

We’re members of Our Lady of Knock/St. Patrick Church.

Farmington is not just where we live; it’s where our values of family, service, and community have taken root.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Previous public office, appointive or elective: Yes. For the past six years I have served on the Farmington Town Council as the First District Representative.

For 12 years before that, I served on the Economic Development Commission (EDC) as chair, vice-chair, and a member.

I’ve established close working and personal relationships with many of the members, from both parties, who served on these entities.

Why are you seeking this office?

My goal is to continue serving the community that has given my family and me so much.

From my years on the Economic Development Commission to my three terms on the Town Council, I’ve worked to make Farmington a place where families thrive, seniors feel supported, and businesses can grow responsibly.

We’ve made important investments in our future — a new high school, a new town hall — and now we must ensure those facilities, along with our roads, sidewalks, and public safety services, are run efficiently and with transparency.

My work in dementia care has taught me the importance of compassion and clear communication, lessons I bring to the town government.

I want to build on Farmington’s strengths — excellent schools, safe neighborhoods, and fiscal stability — while improving how we connect with residents, how we plan for growth, and how we protect what makes this town special.

The bottom line is this: I want to see Farmington thrive. It is an honor to play a role in shaping our future together.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it: Farmington’s challenges are interconnected: affordability, responsible growth, school funding, public safety, and infrastructure.

All of these are influenced by one bigger reality — the risk of losing federal dollars that flow through the state to towns like ours.

I will continue building strong partnerships with our state delegation and federal leaders, so Farmington gets its fair share of funding to offset those cuts.

At the same time, I’ll focus on making our local government more efficient, finding cost savings that protect essential services, and expanding transparency so residents know how decisions are made and how dollars are spent.

Our town expects leadership that listens, plans responsibly, and keeps services strong without shifting the burden unfairly onto taxpayers.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Rather than draw contrasts, I’ll share what I bring to the table:

• Proven local leadership: 18 years on the Town Council and Economic Development Commission.

• Professional experience: Business development and communications in both corporate and nonprofit settings.

• Human-centered perspective: My career in dementia care is about supporting people and families through difficult times — a perspective that translates into compassionate, transparent leadership.

• Deep community roots: From serving as chair of the EDC and parish council to the Farmington Library Board, Rotary, and more, I’ve always worked to strengthen the fabric of this community.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Affordable housing and responsible growth are on my mind, especially because of how they affect our schools, roads, and town services like our police, public safety, and emergency services.

We are currently assessing our fire stations to ensure they meet the needs of residents and first responders.

And like many of you, I care about better town connectivity — whether that’s fixing our roads, upgrading sidewalks, or expanding our beautiful rails-to-trails network.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence that you can handle this job?

•Advocated for expanded senior tax abatements, helping older residents stay in the homes they love.

•Worked to maintain the lowest mill rate in the Valley and Hartford County, protecting affordability.

•Partnered with state legislators to secure extra funding for the new high school, reducing the cost to taxpayers.

•Improved communication by launching the EDC newsletter, leading the town’s first business branding campaign, and helping create Explore Farmington, a platform to keep residents informed.

These accomplishments reflect my values: protecting affordability, strengthening schools, supporting seniors, and making town government more transparent and accessible.

Together, these experiences demonstrate my commitment, leadership, and ability to guide Farmington forward responsibly, strategically, and with the best interests of our residents in mind.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

“There isn’t somebody with so much that there isn’t something they need. And there isn’t somebody with so little that they don’t have something to give. It’s connecting these folks that makes this world go round.” – Otto Strobino

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Leadership, to me, is about service and trust.

I lead by listening first, by encouraging collaboration, and by being transparent about decisions and priorities.

My goal as Town Council Chair is to maintain what residents love about Farmington — its schools, safety, and sense of community — while improving the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of our government.

Farmington’s future depends on leaders who can combine experience with vision, and I am ready to continue serving our town with the dedication it deserves.