Election season comes early in New Canaan. The party with the largest number of registered voters in town, the Republicans, holds the majority on Town boards, council and commissions. They will hold their caucus on July 18 to endorse candidates to represent the party on the ballot for the municipal election in November, and all registered Republicans are urged to attend.
This pre-caucus season there are more candidates vying for the Republican Party’s endorsement than there are endorsements to be gained, and with those contests comes good old-fashioned, grassroots campaigning. The Advertiser continues its long tradition of helping the community get to know the candidates of any election by asking questions, collecting responses and publishing the information in print, on NCAdvertiser.com and via social media.
This installment of election coverage is provided five days before the Republicans in the contested races — First Selectman, Selectman and Town Council — will face off in a debate to be held next Tuesday, June 27, at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. The public is urged to attend or watch via NCTV-79.
New Canaan Democrats will hold their caucus on July 18 as well. As of June 21 there are no known contests for endorsements.
The Advertiser welcomes input from readers to advise the editors about what are the most important issues facing the community today. Please send emails to: GReilly@NCAdvertiser.com with the subject line: Election Issue.
New Canaan’s Town Hall
Republicans at the July 18 Caucus will choose from among three candidates for first selectman and vote to endorse only one of you. Let’s get to the heart of the matter.
Election season comes early in New Canaan. The party with the largest number of registered voters in town, the Republicans, holds the majority on Town boards, council and commissions. They will hold their caucus on July 18 to endorse candidates to represent the party on the ballot for the municipal election in November, and all registered Republicans are urged to attend.
This pre-caucus season there are more candidates vying for the Republican Party’s endorsement than there are endorsements to be gained, and with those contests comes good old-fashioned, grassroots campaigning. The Advertiser continues its long tradition of helping the community get to know the candidates of any election by asking questions, collecting responses and publishing the information in print, on NCAdvertiser.com and via social media.
This installment of election coverage is provided five days before the Republicans in the contested races — First Selectman, Selectman and Town Council — will face off in a debate to be held next Tuesday, June 27, at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. The public is urged to attend or watch via NCTV-79.
New Canaan Democrats will hold their caucus on July 18 as well. As of June 21 there are no known contests for endorsements.
The Advertiser welcomes input from readers to advise the editors about what are the most important issues facing the community today. Please send emails to: GReilly@NCAdvertiser.com with the subject line: Election Issue.
First Selectman
Republicans at the July 18 Caucus will choose from among three candidates for first selectman and vote to endorse only one of you. Let’s get to the heart of the matter.
Considering the group of top issues facing the Town government in 2018, why are you the best of the three candidates to be the chief executive of New Canaan?
Cristina Aguirre-Ross
Cristina Aguirre-Ross
Biography
Professionally, I am an architect, published author, and an entrepreneurial strategic planner with extensive management and organizational skills.
I worked for JP Morgan in their real estate and facilities division, focusing on procedures, compliance, construction, contract negotiations, fast tracking, budgeting and financial analysis. Long range planning, goal setting, financial accountability, and turning projects around are some of my areas of expertise.
Presently, I serve on Town Council, and formerly I have served several boards and commissions including Park & Rec for 10 yrs., Open Space & Conservation Committee 2 yrs., along with serving on many volunteer organizations.
Response
We are at a point in New Canaan’s history where we can choose to change direction and reset the course for New Canaan, looking towards the future.
I am the candidate that can lead by example on all fronts to bring together a social ad political consensus that looks to set the goals and direction that will enable us to make New Canaan more desirable, successful and relevant. We need to set our direction to focus on fiscal transparency, resolving financial deficiencies, infrastructure management, and setting objectives that are focused on reaching longer-term gains for the town’s development and growth.
I propose to lead the conversation into charting the vision for New Canaan’s future that will make our town one of the most competitive communities to live and raise a family in.
We have the opportunity to reset the accountability and transparency factor into our budgets, appropriations, operations, and contract negotiations. This is an opportunity to look into streamlining how we conduct business and seek to realize cost savings in all administrative areas. We need to become more effective and create an inclusive, collegial and transparent system of government that has the broad social and political consensus to become effective and sustainable.
Here is an opportunity to focus on a sustainable economic recovery by adhering to a plan that grows our town, that maintains its financial sustainability, that continues to deliver an excellent educational value, and protects its New England charm while building a dynamic economic engine of success.
We need to start being proactive and not reactive in the management of our town. We need direction, focus, vision, consensus, and to set the course.
It is imperative that we start the conversation, prioritize commuter parking at the Lumberyard and Talmadge Hill, and bring in the gas line, all while maintaining a fiscally responsible approach to growth. These projects are essential to bringing about a positive turn in our real estate climate.
I am the candidate with the working knowledge to address all the issues presented and bring about a positive change and direction for our town.
Robert Mallozzi III, incumbent
Biography
Rob Mallozzi III
- 54 years old
- University of Vermont
- Resident since 1994
- Married for 26 years to Elizabeth Howland
- 2 children; both attended New Canaan schools
- Businesses: Bob’s Sports, Inc.; Caroline Realty, LLC.
Past and Present New Canaan Affiliations
- First Selectman; 3 terms
- Selectman; 2 terms
- Chairman, Board of Finance
- Ex-officio, Town Council
- Ct. Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- Secretary, NC Fire
- Deputy, Office of Emergency Management
- Interior Firefighter, NC Fire
Board member
- Chairman, Downtown Study Group Chairman, NC Family Fourth
- NC Baseball/Softball, Inc.
- Spencer’s Run
- New Canaan Library
- Waveny Health Network
- NC Nature Center
- Carriage Barn Art Center
- Chamber of Commerce
Response
Simply stated, I am the only candidate with the requisite skill-sets running for First Selectman. I bring a wealth of accumulated knowledge and experiences from owning a local business, managing large commercial properties and from my six years successfully leading a $146,000,000 operation — the Town of New Canaan.
My family, business and civic efforts run deep in this town; in fact my entire life is vested locally. It’s clear that our residents trust a leader whose sole interests are centered here. Why? Because it demonstrates a keen appreciation for the present along with a responsible vision for the long-term health of our community. As an owner of commercial and residential properties that contributed over $168,000 in taxes to our town in 2016, it means I will always be acutely sensitive to spending and taxing issues. And, as a husband and father of 2 teachers, the importance of investing in our school system will remain paramount.
Experience matters.
During storm Sandy and other major emergencies: Working with Mike Handler, our emergency services personnel and town department heads, the community benefitted from my public safety and emergency management training as I assisted in our Emergency Operations Center night and day.
Town projects: Every project under my watch — whether it be the Town Hall, Fire Department, paving, Saxe Building or Waveny — has come in (or is projected to come in) on time and on budget. Think back just 6-10 years ago and that wasn’t the case. Experience has taught me well about placing the right people and creating the right teams to keep a dedicated watch over the bottom line.
When our Post Office was slated for closure: My real estate experience and local relationships helped me identify properties to the USPS for consideration. When it appeared there was foot dragging, I put together a team that worked directly with Congressman Himes, a local developer and a builder to create a new Post Office far superior than the previous facility.
I look forward to continuing to foster teamwork and bringing my considerable experience to the benefit of New Canaan.
Kevin Moynihan
Kevin Moynihan
Biography
Kevin Moynihan is a 36-year New Canaan resident. He is a retired corporate attorney who worked for leading global investment banks in Chicago and New York City. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and Boston College Law School. Kevin was elected to a four-year term on the New Canaan Town Council in 2013. He has been a board member of the New Canaan Community Foundation and Getabout, Inc. and is an active member of the Exchange Club of New Canaan and the Men’s Club of New Canaan.
Kevin is married to Mim Stapleton Moynihan and they have two adult children.
Response
My 35-year career as a corporate attorney working for leading global investment banks is what makes me the best candidate to be chief executive of New Canaan. As a member of the Town Council, I have observed close-up the performance of our incumbent first selectman. Rob Mallozzi had a steep learning curve stepping into the role of chief executive of New Canaan given that he came from a 25-year career with a small family-operated sports equipment retailer. Fortunately, New Canaan has superb professional employee managers who run our Police, Fire, Public Works, Human Resources and other departments, and he could lean on these excellent managers. The one manager that he was responsible for hiring was a Finance Director, who failed.
As someone who worked in organizations ranging in size from 1,600 to 60,000 employees, I am experienced in working with employees at all levels, from C-suite executives to line employees. As general counsel of sophisticated business organizations, I have a large body of experience with employee relations and benefits, contracts, accounting and finance, investments and pensions, government and public relations, technology and security, management of outside attorneys, litigation and dispute resolution, and governance and ethics. At Merrill Lynch, as a senior managing attorney, I was regarded as one of the most effective attorneys among a 200- person Office of General Counsel. I was widely respected for my ability to achieve results and work effectively with hundreds of employees at all levels.
More important than the technical competence to handle the duties required of the chief executive of a Town government with almost 300 employees, however, is the skill-set required to solve complex problems facing New Canaan, such as cellular service, parking and aging infrastructure of Town buildings. I have the many years of experience as a problem-solver and as one who knows how to collaborate with many and varied stakeholders and citizens to reach solutions in a transparent and inclusive manner as the incumbent does not.
The post July Caucus: Q&A with the Candidates: First Selectman appeared first on New Canaan Advertiser.