Saturday, October 17, 2026
After over four decades as a contractor and years of involvement in Freeport civic organizations, Benjamin Jackson says his approach to local government is rooted in a lesson he learned from his father: If you see a problem, don’t complain about it — do something about it.
Jackson, 64, the Republican candidate in the County Legislature’s 6th District, is making another bid for the seat, with a focus on affordability, infrastructure, housing and public safety. The longtime Freeport resident said his experience as a business owner, zoning board member and president of the village Chamber of Commerce has shaped his belief that government can operate more efficiently while remaining responsive to residents.
“I like helping people,” Jackson said. “I like getting things done.”
Among his top concerns is affordability, which he said is closely tied to the tax burden on county residents. He argued that government should more closely scrutinize its spending and look for inefficiencies before committing additional taxpayer dollars.
“I think taxes and affordability go hand in hand,” Jackson said. “I think we need somebody to actually look at it and say, ‘OK, why are we spending this money here? Can’t we do this a little differently?’”
Reducing taxes, he said, could make homeownership more attainable, particularly as younger residents struggle with the combined costs of housing and property taxes. He also pointed to delays in the permitting process as another obstacle to affordability, arguing that development projects can be held up for years and that approvals could be streamlined without eliminating necessary oversight.
Those affordability concerns extend to housing, an issue Jackson said requires balancing the county’s need for more homes with the capacity of its existing infrastructure. While he supports increasing the housing supply, including affordable housing, he said that development should be approached community by community rather than with a one-size-fits-all strategy.
“Do we need more housing? There’s no doubt about it,” Jackson said. “We need affordable housing. There’s no doubt about it.”
Having served on Freeport’s zoning board for over a decade, Jackson described himself as pro-development, and said he supports transit-oriented development. He added, however, that additional housing should be accompanied by improvements to roads, sewers, water systems and utilities, and argued that local communities should play a role in determining how development moves forward.
“Every community is different,” Jackson said. “The needs of every community are different.”
Public safety is another of his priorities, and he said he wants to ensure that county police officers have the equipment and resources they need. He also pointed to traffic safety as a quality-of-life concern, recalling that he contacted Freeport officials about drivers speeding near his office, where there is also a school bus stop. Police subsequently stepped up enforcement in the area, he said.
That same emphasis on addressing residents’ everyday concerns, Jackson said, would guide his approach if he were elected. He said he would maintain an open-door policy and make himself readily available to constituents, while acknowledging that he wouldn’t be able to solve every problem.
“Just watch what I do,” Jackson said when asked how residents could measure his performance. “I can’t guarantee I can fix everybody’s problem. I can’t get a cat out of the tree, but I will do my best.”
