Sen.-elect Henri Martin is focused on economic growth (Plainville Citizen)

Article as it appeared in the Plainville Citizen

Senator-elect focused on economic growth
Published: November 28, 2014 | Last Modified: December 2, 2014 01:18PM

By Ken Liebeskind The Plainville Citizen

Henri Martin, who has served on the Bristol City Council since 2011, won the 31st District State Senate seat in November and will represent Plainville, along with Bristol, Plymouth, Thomaston and Harwinton.
The Bristol Realtor, who is married and has raised four children, sees managing the $2.8 billion budget deficit and promoting jobs and economic development as the key issues in 2015 and the reason he ran for the open Senate seat. “How do you make change? You can’t just moan and groan about it,” he said. “If you want things to change you have to be a part of it and voice how you feel.”

Martin has helped bring about change in Bristol for the past three years and plans to stay on the City Council until his term expires.

“Bristol All Heart,” the city’s new marketing slogan, was developed this year in a $60,000 campaign supported by the city and its Chamber of Commerce that Martin oversaw with the City Council. He called the campaign, “very impactful for the city.”

Martin and the City Council also support the West End Association and the blight committee that was formed to clean up the neighborhood. The city has utilized the blight committee to encourage landlords to clean up their properties to avoid demolition. A dozen or more buildings have been demolished and other landlords have responded by repairing their buildings. “Landlords are fixing up their places. That is the plus in this,” Martin said.

Martin has also worked with the board of finance to oversee city income and expenditures. “I encouraged the comptroller to prepare monthly reports that give us a better indication of the financial situation,” he said.

Martin is a Republican and understands the challenge of working with the minority party. “The governor will put together the budget with the Democratic majority and it will be back in front of us to vote on it,” he said.

“Our goal is to stimulate economic growth, which can be done in the communities with lower taxes and less government spending that attracts businesses, people and job formation. It can’t be any simpler.”
Martin is eager to represent Plainville in 2015. “I’m looking forward to meeting people in the community as the year goes on,” he said.