Meet Clare Kindall: Democratic Candidate for West Hartford Town Council

Name: 
Clare Kindall

Age: 52


Party: Democrat

Board Seeking:
 re-election to Town Council

Family information: 
Married to Mark Kindall, a partner in a West Hartford law firm; son Keith is a senior at Hall High School

Occupation, if applicable: 
Assistant Attorney General and Department Head to Energy Unit of the Office of the Attorney General, representing the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and Siting Council

Political Experience: 
Current member of the West Hartford Town Council; also served on the West Hartford Board of Education for five years, the last two as Chair of the Board

Other Experience:  Studying at the Spiritual Life Center to be a spiritual director; active at St. Thomas the Apostle parish, including former Chair of the parish council, former head of Education Committee, former head of Social Action Committee, currently serving as lector and Eucharistic minister

Why did you run for office? West Hartford is a terrific place to live, to work, to raise a family or to retire. Getting to this point has taken hard work, sound judgment and good policy, and I am proud to have been a part of that success these past seven years, both on the Town Council and on the Board of Education.  I want to nurture and grow that vitality.

Our town finally is experiencing a well-earned renaissance. We have survived storms, power outages and the recession stronger than ever. From Elmwood and Bishop’s Corner, our town is expanding and growing. Blue Back Square will soon welcome a new luxury hotel. Bishops Corner now enjoys outdoor dining and Park Road is welcoming a new mixed-use apartment complex. Elmwood’s renaissance includes Pepe’s Pizza, Sliders and fully occupied offices and stores.  

This has all been accomplished while being fiscally prudent.  With careful management and thoughtful planning, we have kept services high and budgets lean.  Our school budget is the lowest increase in 30 years, and the town budget spending is the lowest increase in 21 years.  The balance in our rainy-day fund is the highest it has been in ten years and we maintained our AAA bond rating – better than the federal government.  

If elected, what would be your primary areas of focus?

 In addition to maintaining our successes to date, I would like to make our town a Bicycle Friendly town, and see an  expansion in the use of solar panels and microgrids.

What do you feel is the biggest issue facing West Hartford today? 

We cannot rest on our successes. Our schools are recognized nationally for their excellence.  We are a top 10 town in the region, the state and the country.  We need to build on that foundation to maintain improve the quality of our town and schools, so we remain in the top 10 for years to come.

What skills do you have that you could bring to the community? I bring my experiences as a mom, as an attorney for the state, and as a member of the Town Council and the school board. I listen, ask clear, concise questions and demand results. I use a practical, common-sense approach to the issues facing the town.


Anything else you would like to share? I am committed to making West Hartford the best place it can be to live, work, raise a family, start a business, or even just take a stroll.  I am proud to be a member of the Democratic team that has led West Hartford these past twelve years.  We’ve learned a lot and accomplished a lot, but there is always more to be done.  I look forward to being a part of that effort.