Patch Candidate Profile: Jason Jenkins, Milford Board of Aldermen

MILFORD, CT — As the 2023 municipal elections get closer in Milford, there are plenty of races with candidates who are eager to serve in elected office.

Milford Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will publish candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Jason Jenkins, 49, is running for a seat on the Board of Aldermen in Milford to represent the 1st District as a Republican candidate.

Jenkins holds a degree in Doctor of Chiropractic and a B.S. in nutritional science. He has been working as a chiropractor for 23 years.

Jenkins's family includes his wife Kimberly, a special education job coach at Shelton High School, and their daughter Olivia, a freshman finance major at Virginia Tech.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

No

Why are you seeking this office?

I am a product of the city of Milford. I attended Live Oaks, Elementary School, and Joseph A. Foran High School. As a child I played Junior Major League, Baseball, Pop Warner Football, and Milford Junior Basketball.

My mother was a founding member of Drug-Free Milford and my father is a past president of the Junior Major League. It is an understanding in our family that you serve the community you grow up in.

I have served as President of the Devon Rotary Club of Milford, I am the founder and two-time president of the Milford chapter of Business Networking International (BNI), am a founding member of the Milford Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Council, and past Chairman of the Milford Youth Services Network.

It is now time for me transition from the community service sector to the government sector in an effort to give back to the town that has nurtured me to become the individual that I am today.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Having a city budget that allows for appropriate public safety, dedication to our education system within the city and maintains a reasonable taxation on our residents.

I firmly believe that the way to attain this is to ensure that Milford remains an attractive place for businesses and corporate headquarters to remain. Simultaneously, Milford should be seen as an attractive place for businesses to want to set up. By increasing our grand list, we ensure the financial stability to provide the services that our residents deserve. Most importantly, those being public safety, education, and reasonable taxation.

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

The major differences between myself and other individuals seeking this post are as follows:

I am a product of the elementary and high school education system of this town. I take pride in the fact that this town has had an immense impact in grooming me into the individual that I am today.

I have been a business owner in Milford for greater than 20 years, and understand how to balance, a budget, and plan for future growth.

I believe that the role of government is to serve as a minimal influence that allows and encourages the individual and/or family to make decisions in support of their personal beliefs and ideals.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community

Milford has lost status and rating in regard to its education system. Teachers are leaving the school system due to increased requirements and teaching mandates being forced upon them by government.

Public safety has suffered due to an inability to attract new police officers and retain current officers. Our police force is overworked and underpaid. Our officers have been handcuffed with their ability to protect and serve.

Lastly, in an effort to appear to maintain a low taxation on our city residents, our previous administration has bonded the town to a state that will require a large financial burden on those residents as those debts become payable.

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

It is imperative that we as city officials explore creative means of generating income in order to support services, public safety, and education for our community. We must continue to attract businesses to improve our grand list.

We must continue to retain businesses. We need to remain transparent as a government for the people of our city. As public servants, it is our duty to remain loyal to the watchful eye of those constituents who have chosen to give us the opportunity to represent them.

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

As a business owner of over 20 years, I have experience in balancing budgets, forecasting, expenses, and creating marketing plans for future growth.

By serving as the head of several organizations within the community, I have learned how to motivate, congratulate, and collaborate with others, in order to serve my fellow community members, in an effort to enhance and improve this great city.

That résumé includes:

• Serving two terms as the President of the Devon Rotary Club.
• Founding and serving two separate terms as the President of the Milford chapter of Business Networking International (BNI).
• Holding the position of legislative liaison to the Connecticut State Assembly for the Connecticut Chiropractic Council.
• Being elected as, and serving two consecutive terms as the President of the Connecticut Chiropractic Council.
• Being a Founding Member of the Milford Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness Council.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

There are things in life that you will have the ability to influence and control. There are things in life that you will have no ability to influence or control. The ability to recognize the difference between the two will help to maintain your sanity, as well as serve those around you.

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

Only that I, alongside of my fellow Milford residents strive to ensure that our great city (the small city with the big heart) is a place that our children and grandchildren are proud to call home.