Hamden Election 2025: Jonathan Katz Running For Mayor

HAMDEN, CT — The 2025 municipal election is heating up in Hamden with plenty of races on the ballot.

Voters will cast their ballots in the Nov. 4 election for mayor and town clerk, along with seats on the legislative council and board of education.

Hamden Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Jonathan Katz is running for election as mayor of Hamden as a Republican.

Campaign Website
https://www.katzforhamden.org

Occupation:

S. Trademark Prosecution Paralegal at a world-renowned Intellectual Property Law Firm.

Family:
Mother- Theresa
Father- Bob
Uncle- Mike Katz- American former IFBB professional bodybuilder and former professional football player with the New York Jets, most famous for his appearance with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1977 bodybuilding documentary filmPumping Iron.

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

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
Connecticut State Student Advisory Council on Education (2-Term Appointee); Co-Managing Editor of Fordham Undergraduate Law Review; Judicial Intern, New York State Supreme Court; Legal Clerk at Fordham Office of Legal Counsel.

Why are you seeking this office?
I am running for Mayor because Hamden residents deserve a new generation of leadership that actually works for them and isn’t connected to the mismanagement of our past. Our town doesn’t need another career politician, it needs a new leader who is focused on keeping Hamden residents in their homes, implementing a cohesive and innovation plan for our future, and putting people, not politics, back in the driver’s seat of our town’s government

My family has called Hamden home for three generations, and we’ve always believed that our community is the town’s greatest resource. Because without the people, there is no Hamden. But we, like so many others, have had to face a difficult truth: we’ve been let down.

We’ve been forced to carry the weight of poor decisions made by leaders who have been more focused on protecting their political careers than fixing our community. For countless years, these decisions have always left our town with higher taxes, rising debt, struggling schools, increased crime, and no clear path forward.

With previous administrations being responsible for our town’s current financial instability, it has never been more obvious that now is the time for change. While my background in economics, education, and law has prepared me to tackle tough budget and policy decisions, what continues to drive my candidacy is my love for this community, the support it has shown me, and the knowledge that we have the ability to do better.

This campaign isn’t just about changing leadership, it’s about changing direction. It’s about bringing common sense, transparency, and people-first politics back to our local leadership. It’s about building a Hamden where families can afford to live, businesses are excited to invest, and younger generations can imagine a future. Hamden deserves a mayor who listens, communicates honestly, and puts residents first every single day. That is exactly who I am running to be

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
After talking with thousands of residents, the single most pressing issue in Hamden is its financial instability and the high taxes that follow. For too long, Hamden residents have been asked each year to pay more into a system that routinely shows them higher taxes, rising debt, struggling schools, and increased crime as returns.

Our taxes, debt, and lack of long-term planning have put a strain on everyone, resident and business owner alike. The policies of the past are broken and do not work. That’s why my top priority is restoring fiscal discipline, accountability, and transparency — so taxpayers can finally know where every single cent of their hard-earned money is going. Here’s what I intend to do to make this a reality.

I am going to implement a forensic financial audit, separate from our yearly audit, that will allow us to fully understand the financial issues affecting our town.

I am going to properly staff our understaffed Finance Department with qualified financial and accounting professionals.

I am going to implement a hiring freeze across the rest of the town until the forensic audit is completed.

I am going to coordinate an independent financial review group that will be responsible for overseeing the town’s Finance Department until our late audit is delivered and ensure our future audit will be on time.

I am going to use the results of our forensic audit to address the issues it will uncover by making smarter budget choices that protect essential services without driving up costs.

I am going to use Hamden’s renewed economic status to attract new businesses and strengthen our local economy so the tax burden doesn’t fall solely on homeowners

Hamden deserves leadership that’s honest about the challenges we face, ready to make the tough decisions needed to get our town back on solid financial footing, and can set controls for its financial future. With my background, and an administration focused on people-first finances, we can achieve this reality.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
The biggest difference is that I am a new voice and new generation of leadership for Hamden — not a political insider or career politician that is directly responsible for the town’s financial status.

Moreover, I am the only candidate with a degree in economics and business, bringing valuable expertise to address our financial challenges. I don't have ties to big real estate and developer money, ensuring that I will prioritize the needs of our residents above all else. I haven’t spent years in the same circles or administrations that created Hamden’s financial mess. Across the last three administrations, our town has been led by the same group of people doing the same old thing. They made promises of reform but always left residents with higher taxes, heavier debt, and less transparency.

I’m here to be part of the first, real, solution Hamden’s seen in decades. I bring a fresh perspective, a background in economics, law, and education, and a commitment to honest budgeting and public accountability. Our town doesn’t need another career politician or someone who feeds the political machine, it needs a new leader whose only loyalty is to the people of Hamden. That’s why my policies are people-first, not politics-first, and these are exactly what is needed to reimagine, rebuild, and reinvigorate our town.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
While my primary focus is addressing Hamden’s finances and our unsustainable tax rate, Hamden residents have shared a number of other concerns with me regarding crime, public safety, town infrastructure, business growth, governmental transparency, and youth programming, and the well-being of our seniors.

Our town needs to support our police and first responders in order to lower crime and address public safety. Our Police and Fire Departments currently lack support from the town which is why I have not only vowed to support these departments, but have also developed and released specific plans for them. Similar plans have routinely seen success across the state, will not increase taxes, and address the primary issue that holds them back: recruitment and retention of personnel.

Once a forensic audit has been conducted, the uncovered funds can be allocated to infrastructure improvement that will occur on a coordinated list that begins with roads and sidewalks that are in the greatest disrepair – and that state-funding is not available to use. Furthermore, these funds can be used to revise and streamline permitting processes and town-based grants, cutting through the red tape that makes it difficult for small businesses to stay and grow here.

I believe that everyone should have a voice in shaping Hamden’s future, which is why I also want to strengthen community engagement. Residents should never feel left in the dark about decisions that affect their neighborhoods, or raise their taxes. By improving communication, creating more transparent budgeting, and prioritizing local quality of life, we can grow community engagement and operate a more transparent and accountable government.

Families also have routinely mentioned they feel that younger generations are being ignored. During my time at the Connecticut Association of Schools, I studied the detrimental impact this can have on children’s life outcomes. Having seen this firsthand, we are going to invest in our younger generations — ensuring they have access to mentorship, after-school programs, family programming, and other meaningful experiences that will prepare them for the future.

This is how we will build better futures for Hamden families, restore pride in our town, and make it a place where families and businesses want to stay and grow.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I’ve built my career around solving complex problems, managing resources responsibly, bringing people together to get results, and understanding the long-term effects of decisions. My background in economics, education, and law has taught me how to analyze budgets, negotiate effectively, make decisions based on facts, not politics or personal interests, and understand how they will affect our future

In my professional and community work, I’ve led efforts that required collaboration, planning, and accountability, the same skills our town government needs right now. I’ve also been active in local civic life, working to make our government more transparent and responsive to residents.

What I’m most proud of is earning the trust of people from all walks of life, Democrats,
Republicans, Unaffiliateds, and Independents, who agree that Hamden deserves better leadership. That’s what I will deliver as its next Mayor.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
The best advice I’ve ever received is to listen before you lead. It’s easy in politics for people to talk past each other, but real leadership starts with understanding, listening to residents, learning their concerns, and using that input to make thoughtful, responsible decisions.

That lesson has shaped how I approach public service and why I’m running for Mayor. Hamden doesn’t need more noise or finger-pointing; it needs leadership that listens, collaborates, and takes action guided by the community’s voice.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I’m running for Mayor because I truly believe in Hamden’s potential. This is my hometown, it’s where my family has lived for generations, and I want to see it thrive again. I’m not interested in politics for the sake of politics. I’m running to make government work for the people who live here.
My focus is simple: fix the finances, make Hamden safer, support our local businesses, and bring transparency back to Town Hall. I’ll always be honest with residents, even when the truth is difficult, because that’s how you build real trust. What you see is what you get, and that is represented by my vision for Hamden’s future.

To make it easy for readers, here are the key highlights of my platform:

Financial Stability and Oversight

Utilize a forensic financial audit separate from the annual audit to uncover waste, mismanagement, and potential fraud.

Use findings from the forensic audit to reallocate wasteful spending and make smarter budget decisions without cutting essential services.

Keep the budget flat until we ensure $240 million in taxpayer money is being used efficiently.

Hire a professional Finance Director with a proven track record.

Properly staff the Finance Department with qualified professionals.

Create a new Independent Financial Review Group to oversee all fiscal operations, community engagement during budgeting, and ensure timely audits in the future.

Implement a temporary hiring freeze across the rest of the town until the forensic and yearly audits are completed.

Develop a 10-year liability reduction plan to manage pensions and debt.

Work towards fully funding and professionally managing pension liabilities to stabilize long-term obligations.

Negotiate sustainable benefit structures for new hires to lower costs, including non-contractual benefits.

Transparency, Accountability, and Governance

Launch a Public Transparency Portal that centralizes all major budget and financial documents, includes searchable archives, and provides both technical and plain-language fiscal summaries.

Publish fully electronic budgets and financial statements both pre- and post- approval for resident review.

Integrate Legislative Council meeting minutes and supporting documents into the Public Transparency Portal.

Create a new Community Representative Program allowing residents to actively participate in the budgeting and hiring processes.

Hold regularly-scheduled Public Engagement Forums on budget and hiring issues where residents will not be limited to 3-minute comments.

Implement a Mayor’s Open-Door policy with weekly public hours for residents’ ease of access.

Ensure adequate live-streams of all major meetings and budget discussions for public access.

Provide Quarterly Fiscal Updates.

Provide an annual “State of Hamden” report.

Public Safety and Crime Prevention
Implement a Hamden Police Housing Incentive Program for officers purchasing homes in Hamden, including:

Low-interest loan partnerships (subsidized by the state).

Down-payment assistance (subsidized by the state).

Town-based one-time closing cost grants with an automatic yearly cost cap.

Establish an Officer Wellness & Retention Fund to cover continuing education, counseling, and non-contractual retention bonuses tied to years of service.

Implement a Community First Policing Plan featuring:

Neighborhood-based policing units.

Increased School Resource Officers.

Integration of restorative justice programs.

Advertise these offerings to expand recruitment and retention efforts to achieve a fully staffed police force.
*All programs listed will account for less than <0.1% of town revenue

Firefighter and EMS Support
Adopt Connecticut General Statute §12-81w: Provide property tax abatements (up to $2,000 annually) for volunteer firefighters, tied to performance standards.

Adopt Connecticut General Statute §7-148: Create a modest, points-based stipend program (up to ~$600 annually) for volunteers to reimburse gear/training expenses.

Adopt Connecticut General Statute §7-464: Allow volunteers to buy into the town’s group health insurance plan at their own expense.

Promote awareness of state tuition waivers, scholarships, and tax deductions for volunteers and their families.

Cap total program costs and phase implementation to maintain fiscal responsibility.
*All programs listed will account for less than <0.1% of town revenue

Economic Development and Business Growth
Hire an Economic Development Director with proven municipal development experience.

Use forensic audit findings to stabilize Hamden’s finances, improve credibility, and make Hamden more attractive to business owners and entrepreneurs.

Develop a cohesive strategy to address differing development needs across the town.

Implement tax incentives and grant programs for new and expanding businesses.

Create coordinated community development projects by using the new Community Representative Program to discuss the developments residents want while also considering what’s best for the local economy.

Expand economic enterprise zones and streamline permitting processes to make business growth faster and less bureaucratic.

Develop blighted areas by using existing developments to revitalize areas that used to flourish.

At the end of the day, I’m just someone who cares deeply about this community and wants to help move it forward. Together, we can put Hamden back on solid ground and restore the pride that every resident deserves to feel in their town.

See also:

• Hamden Election 2025: Adam Sendroff Running For Mayor
• Hamden Election 2025: Jameka A. Morrison-Jefferies Running For Mayor