2025 Patch Candidate Profiles: Brian Bagley​, First Selectman, Stafford

STAFFORD, CT — Brian Bagley is running for first selectman in Stafford.

Candidate's Name:
Brian Bagley

What office are you seeking?
First Selectman

What town do you live in?
Stafford Springs

Campaign Website
<>

Party Affiliation:
Republican

Occupation:
Retired Military, Part Time Business Owner, and Stagehand

Family:
Married to my amazing Wife Amanda for over 35 years.
Two Daughters, Brianna and Morgan that grew up in Town enjoying all that Stafford has to offer. Both adults now, one an Actress and the other a Pathologist's Assistant.
Family is the most important thing in life and my family means the world to me!

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

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
Board of Finance 2014 - 2016, Elected

Why are you seeking this office?
I am seeking this office so that I may help improve the inner workings of the town. I have been a resident of Stafford for 30+ years. I have put my daughters through this school system, I have attended town events, I have even served on the Board of Finance. I care about this community and think my perspective and ideas for structural improvement could really benefit us. As a citizen, I was never extremely involved, because I never knew how to be, so I think it is important to improve our communications with the town so that more residents can make their voices heard. One way I believe we could improve this is to ensure that, when town meetings do occur, we are notifying the public of their dates and locations. Furthermore, we should establish checks and balances that verify that all residents in attendance meet the eligibility requirements set forth by the state for any decision-making vote.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
Transparency. Across the spectrum, residents deserve to understand the decisions being made and how the town operates so I will highlight topics which will provide a better understanding. For example, why some of the items of the budget should be handled in a certain way. I will be opening those details to provide better insights and allowing for a more thoughtful approach to the decision-making processes. I will be focusing on efficiency and streamlining where possible while allowing the residents of Stafford to be able to see, understand and have a say in our community. All of this will help us improve communications so that we may reach a higher percentage of the town’s population.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
What I believe makes me, Brian Bagley, stand out, is my quest for transparency and understanding. I believe in unity, empathy and compassion. I believe in open communications between citizens and the town to better understand each other's perspectives. It is much more powerful to discuss a topic and see the different vantage points than to criticize and lash out against others.

The right decisions are not a political vantage point but what’s in the best interests of the residents of Stafford. It is important that we improve the communications with our community so that we may offer them the platform to weigh in and participate in our local government in a more meaningful way.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
I intend to review and change, if possible, Stafford’s tax structure and re-evaluate our spending and where the money could be better utilized & sourced. I also believe working with surrounding towns and communities to challenge certain state mandates, that are currently underfunded. This could help remove a considerable burden on less populated communities, such as ours.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
I was a former Recruiter and Superintendent of Recruiting and Retention with the CT Air National Guard for 20 years. In this position, I established requirements to guarantee that manning levels were at their highest level possible. I also was able to use my marketing degree to highlight the main attributes the Air National Guard had to offer. After retirement, I continued to expand this much deeper, as I worked with contractors in advertising and marketing, customizing website content and managing recruiting connections through a website that I designed. I later established my own company, QAS, that performed these tasks on a higher level. Serving as the President and CEO of two companies, I have an understanding of focusing on the details and criteria that need to be reviewed and evaluated to meet objectives and requirements to run an organization successfully.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
There is no such thing as failure. You learn from everything you do in life, and while the outcome might not be as desired, keep pressing on and learn from your mistakes. Always look at things with a futuristic and out of the box perspective. A decision that seems right today may have negative impacts in the future and require a different approach so it is important that all aspects be clearly evaluated before making any decision. It’s a “What If” look trying to see if something happens or goes wrong are we still in a good position. Keeping this in mind, we will be able to leave a better Stafford for the generations to come.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
While I am a registered Republican, I am not driven by traditional bipartisan views but driven by the community’s needs. As the Constitution states “We the People [of Stafford Springs], in order to form a more perfect [community]” should band together regardless of party or affiliation. The bottom line is, it is in the best interest of our community that we allow residents to voice their concerns so that we may do them proud, making the best decisions we can for our great Town of Stafford.