Connecticut should not have to choose between protecting the environment and keeping the state affordable.
Families, businesses and municipalities are already struggling with rising costs. Environmental protection remains important, but policies must deliver measurable results without imposing unnecessary financial burdens.
That is the approach I will bring to Hartford.
My priorities are straightforward: cleaner water, cleaner air, less waste, responsible energy development and protection of Connecticut’s natural resources. But those priorities must translate into action.
First, create Environmental Results Grants. Municipalities will compete for state funding based on measurable improvements in water quality, stormwater management, recycling, wetland restoration, energy efficiency and brownfield cleanup. Connecticut already uses competitive grants for brownfield projects. We should expand that results-driven approach.
Second, prioritize incentives over mandates. Encourage businesses to invest in reducing emissions, waste, energy use and water consumption through targeted incentives tied to demonstrated environmental benefits.
Third, reward regional cooperation. Give funding priority to municipalities that can address environmental challenges more efficiently by working together.
Fourth, maximize existing federal resources. DEEP already administers federal funding for water-quality, stormwater and brownfield projects. Hartford should help municipalities secure those dollars before asking Connecticut taxpayers for more.
Fifth, encourage redevelopment of previously developed land. Prioritize brownfields, former industrial sites and suitable commercial properties for cleanup, redevelopment and renewable energy, reducing pressure on undeveloped land.
And I will establish one clear rule: If Hartford mandates it, Hartford should help fund it.
Before imposing new environmental requirements on municipalities, legislators should identify the cost, funding source and expected benefit. State mandates should not become another local property-tax obligation.
For 18 years, I served on Greenwich’s Board of Estimate and Taxation, including as chairman. That experience taught me to question whether expenditures are necessary, whether better alternatives exist and whether taxpayers are getting the results promised.
I will bring that same discipline to environmental policy.
My opponent has supported and co-sponsored environmental and renewable-energy legislation, including HB 5004 (Public Act 25-125) and HB 5340 (Public Act 26-127).
But passing legislation is only the beginning. My approach focuses on what happens next.
What measurable environmental improvement are we achieving? What will it cost? Who pays? Could we accomplish the same result more efficiently? And how will we know whether it worked?
Environmental policy should be judged not by how many laws are passed, but by the improvements they deliver.
My agenda combines measurable results, private investment, regional cooperation, existing federal resources, responsible redevelopment and fiscal accountability.
The goal is not to do less for the environment; it is to get more environmental benefit for every dollar we spend.
With your help, I will bring that approach to Hartford: cleaner water, cleaner air, less waste and better stewardship of our land, with responsible use of public money.
I ask for your vote on November 3rd.
Michael Mason