John Engel wants to make sure that New Canaan remains the great family friendly town with great schools that it has always been. So he wants to lend a hand to the next first selectman.
Engel announced his candidacy for selectman this week. This will be his first time running for townwide office.
Engel, 44, does not have any one reason for seeking a spot on the towns main board. Instead, he says hes taking a longer view and want to help keep taxes low, maintain good property values, generate more business downtown and keep New Canaan's schools in excellent shape. The Oenoke Lane resident works as a Realtor at Brotherhood and Higley on Elm Street and is raising four children. He says his concerns mirror those of many other New Canaanites.
We have perhaps an unparalleled sense of community in New Canaan, better than any other town in the state, and Im going to fight to preserve that sense of community, he said.
Engel said he was encouraged by both Republican first selectman candidates, Robert Mallozzi III and Paul Giusti, to make a run for office. Though Engel says he would enjoy working with either GOP nominee should they take over for the outgoing Jeb Walker, he has no aspirations of running for the top job given his current responsibilities.
The first selectmans job is a massive undertaking, he said. The new first selectman needs two other selectmen willing to roll up their sleeps to help with the job in a positive way and assist with whatever the first selectman needs to get done.
Though he has not served in town government, Engel has spoken out about his desire to keep the town-owned brick building in Mead Park standing. Although town officials have sought to have the building razed for several years, Engel says grant money is available and New Canaan should explore all of its options to reuse the building, which is now a storage unit.
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