Democrat Dan Gessen of Falmouth and Republican Adam M. Hogue of Barnstable are vying for an open seat on the Barnstable County Commission, the executive board for county government. Both candidates provided the answers below to questions posed by The Chronicle.
Name: Daniel Gessen
Age: 26
Town of residence: Falmouth
Occupation: Army National Guard officer, county delegate
Education: UMass Amherst (B.A. political science, public policy and administration); UMass Isenberg School of Management (masters of business analytics); Columbia Law School (J.D. candidate)
What qualifies you to serve as county commissioner? For the last five years, I've represented Falmouth on the Barnstable County Assembly, where I currently serve as deputy speaker. During that time, I've helped deliver $10 million in federal wastewater funding, led efforts to provide loan forgiveness for sewer hookups, and passed a home-rule petition that could generate up to $56 million annually for housing. I've also pushed for federal broadband investments, introduced legislation to help homeowners afford generators, and led efforts to protect Cape Codders from unlawful immigration enforcement.
I've also served as legislative director to State Senator Julian Cyr and as an infantry officer in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, where I led 27 soldiers during a deployment to Iraq.
These experiences have taught me how to bring people together, navigate complicated policy challenges, and get things done. But I'm also a lifelong Cape Codder who has watched too many friends leave because they simply can't afford to stay. That's what motivates me to serve.
County government is notoriously obscure. Why should people care about it? Cape Cod has 15 towns, but our biggest challenges don't stop at town lines. Housing affordability, wastewater infrastructure, childcare and reliable utilities are all regional issues that no individual town can solve alone.
That's exactly why county government exists. By working together, our towns can pool resources, secure state and federal funding, and pursue solutions that would otherwise be out of reach.
I believe county government has the potential to do far more to make Cape Cod affordable for the people who live and work here. And if we're doing our jobs right, people shouldn't have to understand the inner workings of county government to see the difference it's making in their lives.
What currently works in county government, and what doesn't work? Barnstable County does a great deal of good work. Our public health programs, regional dredging operations, and Cape Cod Commission are all examples of services that make sense to provide regionally.
But having served in county government for five years, I also think we're falling well short of our potential.
Take wastewater. When towns borrow from the county's revolving fund, they receive zero-percent financing and 25 percent loan forgiveness. But year-round homeowners borrowing from the same fund to connect to sewer receive neither. I led an effort to change that, which passed the assembly but was ultimately rejected by the executive branch. I think that's backwards.
County government has become too comfortable simply administering its existing programs instead of finding new ways to address the challenges facing our communities. We need to preserve what's working while recognizing that Cape Cod's problems have changed, and our approach to regional government needs to change with them.
If elected, name your top three priorities.
1. Making housing affordable for year-round residents. We can't simply build our way out of Cape Cod's housing crisis while existing homes are converted into seasonal properties and short-term rentals. I want to establish a dedicated revenue source for deed restrictions, mortgage buy-down programs, property tax relief, and workforce housing through a locally adopted fee on high-value real estate transfers.
2. Forgiving wastewater loans for year-round homeowners. Protecting our water quality is essential, but we shouldn't be forcing working families and seniors on fixed incomes out of their homes to pay for it. My proposal would redirect interest collected on sewer loans for seasonal properties and short-term rentals toward forgiving loans for year-round residents.
3. Making childcare affordable for working families. Childcare is one of the biggest expenses facing young families on Cape Cod. I want to establish a Cape-wide pre-K childcare credit that allows our towns to share the cost of making childcare more affordable, regardless of where a family lives or works.
Ultimately, all three priorities come back to the same goal: making sure Cape Cod remains a place where working people, young families, and seniors can afford to live.
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Name: Adam M. Hogue
Age: 45
Town of Residence: Barnstable
Occupation: Managing partner and certified financial planner at Northern Peak Financial; retired U.S. Army Major
Education: Lowell High School, bachelor’s degree; University of Massachusetts Lowell; master’s degree in education, University of Nebraska; master of business administration (MBA), Fitchburg State University; graduate certificate in financial planning, Boston University
What qualifies you to serve as county commissioner? I believe my combination of military leadership, business ownership, and financial experience uniquely qualifies me to serve as Barnstable County Commissioner.
I served in the United States Army for 20 years, including a combat deployment to Afghanistan, and retired as a major. Throughout my military career, I led teams, managed resources, worked with people from different backgrounds, and made difficult decisions. Military service taught me the importance of accountability, leadership, and putting the mission ahead of personal interests.
As a small business owner and financial planner, I have spent my career helping individuals, families, and businesses make sound financial decisions. I understand budgets, long-term financial planning, and the importance of making every dollar count. I also know firsthand the challenges facing small businesses and working families on Cape Cod.
Most importantly, I live here and I care deeply about the future of our community. I am not running to build a political career. I am running because I believe Cape Cod needs practical leadership, fiscal responsibility, and common sense in county government.
County government is notoriously obscure. Why should people care about it? I think the fact that many residents don't understand what county government does is part of the problem. Government should be accessible, transparent and accountable to the taxpayers who fund it.
Barnstable County provides important regional services that many residents benefit from without realizing it. These include water quality testing, environmental protection, public health programs, regional dredging and support for towns dealing with wastewater and other infrastructure challenges.
County government also makes decisions about spending, regional planning, and programs that can affect taxpayers and local communities. People should care because these decisions affect the cost of living, the environment, local businesses, and the long-term future of Cape Cod.
I believe the county's role should be straightforward: provide services that individual towns cannot efficiently provide on their own, coordinate regional solutions, and help our 15 towns succeed.
County government should not become another layer of bureaucracy that makes living on Cape Cod more expensive. Residents deserve to know what their county government is doing, how their money is being spent, and whether they are getting results. As commissioner, I would make transparency and communication a priority, including being accessible to residents and regularly attending local meetings throughout the Cape.
What currently works in county government, and what doesn't work? There are several county programs that provide real value to our communities. The county's water quality laboratory, regional dredging program, Cooperative Extension and public health services are examples of programs that make sense at the regional level. These services allow towns to share resources, reduce duplication, and address challenges that extend beyond municipal boundaries.
I also believe the county can play an important role in helping towns navigate wastewater infrastructure, environmental protection and emergency preparedness.
Where I believe county government needs improvement is in its fiscal priorities, transparency and understanding of its proper role.
I am concerned about proposals for additional real estate transfer taxes and a countywide property tax. Cape Cod residents already face significant financial pressures, including high housing costs, property taxes, insurance premiums, and everyday living expenses. I do not believe creating new county-level taxes is the answer, particularly when we should first be evaluating existing resources, spending priorities, and opportunities to operate more efficiently.
I also believe decisions about local housing policy, development, and municipal taxation should remain primarily with our towns. Each Cape Cod community has different needs, and those decisions are best made by local officials who are directly accountable to their residents.
The county should be a partner to the towns, not an additional layer of government competing with them for authority and tax revenue. We need to focus less on expanding government and more on making the services we already provide work better.
If elected, name your top three priorities.
1. Fiscal responsibility and protecting taxpayers. My first priority will be ensuring county government operates efficiently and responsibly with taxpayer dollars.
I oppose proposals for a countywide property tax and additional real estate transfer taxes. I believe these proposals would create unnecessary financial burdens for homeowners, seniors, families, and small businesses.
As a financial planner and business owner, I understand that every dollar has a purpose. I would bring that same discipline to county government by carefully reviewing the budget, evaluating existing programs, and prioritizing essential services before considering additional spending.
We should also explore ways to use existing county resources more effectively and direct available funding toward programs that provide measurable benefits to our towns and residents.
2. Supporting our 15 towns through regional services and environmental solutions. Cape Cod faces serious challenges involving wastewater, water quality, coastal protection, and infrastructure. Wastewater improvements alone represent enormous financial commitments for many towns. The county should be working to secure state and federal funding, coordinate technical resources, and help municipalities reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers.
I want to strengthen the county's role in water quality testing, dredging, environmental management, and regional planning while respecting local control.
We have one Cape Cod, but 15 unique towns. My goal is to make sure the county is a resource that helps those communities solve problems together, not a government body that dictates how individual towns should operate.
3. Supporting seniors, veterans, working families, and local businesses. Cape Cod must remain a place where people of all generations can afford to live, work, and retire. As a veteran, I care deeply about ensuring our veterans and their families have access to the services and support they have earned. As a financial planner, I work with retirees and seniors regularly. I see firsthand the challenges they face with rising expenses, property taxes, healthcare, and the desire to age in place. I want the county to support existing programs that help seniors remain independent and connected to their communities.
I also believe we need to strengthen partnerships that support childcare, workforce development and small businesses. Our local economy depends on working families, entrepreneurs and the next generation being able to build a future here.
County government can play a constructive role by coordinating services, building partnerships, and helping our towns access resources without unnecessarily expanding government.
Ultimately, my goal is simple: bring common sense, fiscal discipline, and accountable leadership to Barnstable County government. I believe in a county government that works for our towns, protects taxpayers, and preserves the quality of life that makes Cape Cod such a special place to call home.
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