The coming election is crucial for Westport.
Voters have several ways to assess candidates. But it’s not always convenient to get to to debates or forums.
Mailings don’t really dig into issues.
And yard signs are not exactly profound.
Today, “06880” introduces a new feature: “Where We Stand.”
Once a week, between now and Election Day, we’ll ask candidates for 3 important boards — Selectmen/women, Planning & Zoning, and Education — one specific question.
We’ll print their responses verbatim. (And we’ll change the order we run them each week, to be extra fair.)
An informed electorate is the greatest bulwark of democracy. Westporters have always participated avidly in our town government.
“06880” is proud to do our part this fall to help.
This week’s question for the Board of Selectmen/women is: “What is the single most important issue facing Westport right now, and how will you address it?”
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Democratic Party-endorsed candidates Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich say:
Our top priority will be Westport’s infrastructure. Whether it’s solving traffic problems, upgrading parking at “Harder Parking” (aka Parker Harding), fixing a fast deteriorating Cribari Bridge, or building a school, Westporters deserve leadership that prioritizes essential projects, and then gets them done.
We will bring the community together to discuss our spending priorities. We are not talking about just “listening.” Reaching consensus on Westport’s infrastructure agenda will make sure taxes don’t have to rise unnecessarily, and will guarantee that the most pressing capital infrastructure projects are pursued with appropriate urgency; while respecting the process and citizen input.
We will weigh in on the most transformative proposed project in modern Westport history: Saugatuck. We will help guide the community conversation to a better answer for development in Saugatuck than The Hamlet. Together, we will find the path to a real solution.
Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich
We all know that downtown parking is a growing problem. As your selectmen, Amy and I will seek a comprehensive plan for downtown which leverages the work of the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee, and includes ideas from business owners, too.
I will hold community discussions with neighbors to seriously consider other options such as a parking deck with liner retail and a “green roof” with passive recreation. We can solve the parking problem for a generation or more. We also need more sidewalks, and need to make Westport more walker- and cyclist-friendly.
We will fix the Cribari Bridge. In fact, we are already working with our state delegation. We will figure out how to maintain its charm while making it safe, while exploring creative options to keep large trucks off our local roads. We will consider local control of the bridge, too.
When elected, we will evaluate creating the role of director of economic and community development, a position that Fairfield has employed to great success. Business and community concerns are entwined, and both benefit when there’s someone dedicated to building consensus on how to move forward and facilitating those outcomes.
We can add transportation issues to this position’s portfolio, so that parking and traffic implications are considered when making big infrastructure decisions.
Ultimately, addressing Westport’s significant infrastructure investment choices requires leadership skilled in analysis, planning and project execution, as Amy and I have demonstrated in our careers and public service.
However, the most important talent is a willingness, even a passion, for listening to others. Our selectpeople should be confident in their vision for Westport, and prepared to persuade others on the merits. But they should also be humble, open to good ideas regardless of the source, so that the outcome for Westport is based not only on the best information and strategy, but also a range of perspectives.
My door will always be open to all Westporters. Only by working together can we fashion a plan that enhances this great town in a responsible way. That’s what we’ll do from Day 1.
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Republican Party-endorsed candidates Don O’Day and Andrea Moore say:
The most important issue facing Westport today is our inability to move projects forward.
Too often, our review and decision-making process is polarized and slow. Even small matters are delayed — or avoided altogether. Extensive public input and hard questions are always appropriate; however, never-ending requests for additional data can be decision avoidance. Nothing happens without decisions, and inaction ultimately hurts all Westport residents.
Andrea Moore and Don O’Day
Here are some of the of the most pressing issues requiring more action in Westport:
Affordable Housing and 8-30g
With the shortage of affordable housing, we are routinely targeted by developers exploiting our 4% ratio of affordable units that is well below the state’s 10% mandate. This shortfall leaves us vulnerable to dense apartment projects, with little zoning oversight under 8-30g. Reaching 10% is not realistic, but we can secure a new 4-year moratorium based on projects already in the pipeline (e.g., Post Road West and Hiawatha Lane).
What we will do? Double down on efforts to identify land or buildings for affordable housing. Westport has strong partners in the Affordable Housing Committee, Housing Authority, and Planning & Zoning Commission, and we must be ready to act quickly when opportunities arise. We should also encourage “friendly” 8-30g projects, as Darien has done, by working with developers willing to collaborate with the town.
Saugatuck Development
The future of Saugatuck remains unsettled, with the choice between no action, a thoughtful development, or a large 8-30g looming.
What we will do? Development with P&Z oversight is better than a dense 8-30g project with little control. We must resolve outstanding concerns through open dialogue. We cannot afford stalemate — we must talk and negotiate. It is better to have input than to relinquish control.
Senior Housing
Seniors face a severe lack of housing options. Single-level homes and condominiums are especially scarce.
What we will do? Establish a first selectman’s task force, with members from the Board of Finance, P&Z, Y’s Men and Women, and other stakeholders. Its charge: (a) expand senior housing inventory (retrofitting existing office space?), (b) incentivize developers to include more senior-friendly designs, and (c) explore financial tools such as tax abatements on new projects.
Downtown Parking
Parking downtown remains a challenge, and Parker Harding is overdue for significant improvements.
What we will do? Follow the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee’s structured 4-part strategy to address parking challenges and address ADA issues that have been brought up. No solution should be off the table.
Capital Projects
Over $400 million in proposed capital projects — and that’s before bonding costs. Every sponsor believes their project is most urgent.
What we will do? Re-prioritize the capital forecast by ranking projects high, medium, or low priority, with the understanding that low-priority projects will not move forward. Apply a simple rule: If a building is functional, dry, warm in winter, and cool in summer, it’s not an immediate priority. Further, the Capital Project list is a Westport list, not a school versus town list,
Traffic is terrible
Every part of town is impacted by increased volume of cars.
What we will do? We are not going to reduce the volume of cars, but we can explore remote monitoring of variable choke points as they develop. We can use technology and adjust traffic light timing to allow for more intelligent flow. Another idea is to guide people on how to make left hand turns onto Post Road from Wilton Road.
Westport will always be able to solve issues by working together. The O’Day/ Moore team has experience leading collaboratively, and a visible and proven track record of success. We will be ready on day one because we have done it before.
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Independent Party-endorsed candidate David Rosenwaks says:
The most important issue facing Westport today is a need for greater transparency and accountability in our town government. This challenge has shaped how decisions are made, how residents experience our town, and to what extent people feel that their voices truly matter. I have had hundreds of conversations with friends and neighbors, and have heard a consistent theme: many residents feel unheard and undervalued.
As first selectman, I will lead with transparency as my guiding principle. Transparency means more than posting documents online or holding meetings that check a box. It means creating a culture where people feel welcomed into the process rather than shut out, where residents are proactively informed, and the rationale for decisions is clearly explained. It means treating residents as true partners in government, not obstacles to be managed.
Accountability is the second essential piece. Westport deserves leadership that is accountable to everyone, not to one faction or interest group.
David Rosenwaks
Accountability means acknowledging mistakes and correcting them. It means being responsive to residents by answering their questions and explaining the reasoning behind choices, so people understand not just what was decided but why.
Accountability also means making decisions after listening to all sides, not just the loudest voices, while also standing by those choices because they were made with fairness, openness, and the long-term best interests of our town in mind.
Modernizing the way our town uses technology is central to achieving this goal. By upgrading our systems and making information easier to access, residents will no longer have to search or wait for answers. They will be able to see clearly how decisions are made, and where their tax dollars are going.
The issues Westport faces are complex, and impact every household. From capital improvements to our schools and infrastructure, to sustainability and resiliency planning, to affordable housing, traffic, public safety, and the community gardens, every one of these issues requires collaboration with residents.
Westport’s strength comes from its people. Our town is full of engaged, passionate, and creative residents who want to contribute to the town’s future.
But when people feel excluded, their energy and talents are wasted. A more transparent and accountable government will not only restore confidence in leadership, but it will additionally invite more residents to participate and share their ideas.
By creating clear pathways for involvement, whether through modernized technology, brown bag lunches, weekly online video updates, or encouraging participation in commissions and committees, we can make it easier for Westporters to take part in shaping the future of the town while also respecting the incredible history that got us to this point.
My commitment as your first selectman will be to lead in this way: to listen, to communicate openly, to explain decisions clearly, and to be accountable to the residents of Westport. By trying to accommodate as many interests as possible during each decision-making process, our results will better reflect the shared values of our town.
Thank you for doing this Dan. I have not been able to get to the in person event due to other commitments and appreciate you putting this in your blog for us to read and review prior to the election.
Thank you Mr. Woog for dedicating “06880” to making this election the most important thing Westporter’s will do. “All politics is Local”. The political decisions that most affect peoples lives are all Local. Being informed and asking questions of the candidates is the only way to choose wisely.
Kevin, I’m having trouble working out your position on the Cribari Bridge. You say you want to “fix” it. What does that mean? Do you support its preservation or do you want a “charming” replacement which will accommodate 18 wheelers? If it’s the first one, then there’s no need for “creative solutions to keep trucks off our local roads” as the extant span already accomplishes that task. Would you be kind enough to clarify?
While Morley and I surely have some differing opinions on the Cribari Bridge, I share his befuddlement with that answer. And how does Westport “fix” something run by the State? Maybe I’m confused.
While we’re at it, I always read that if the State rebuilds the bridge, there can’t be limits on truck traffic across it. But can someone tell me how far these limits extend? Can Westport forbid tractor trailers on Greens Farms Road past Imperial Avenue, effectively getting the same result?
Short and complete answer: no.
https://portal.ct.gov/dot/osta/through-trucks-and-prohibitions
Darien did get a ban on trucks on rt 136 Tokeneke rd through cronyism.
Thanks for answering Chris’s (completely legitimate) query about banning through truck traffic, Werner. There’s been a bit of magical thinking about this subject lately. It’s especially bothersome when it’s spread by those who absolutely know better. In any event, it’s unfortunate that Kevin has so far declined to clarify his position on the Cribari Bridge. I truly want to give him a chance – especially as the current administration foolishly tossed away our leverage with DOT regarding the bridge’s disposition and left us in a lousy place, strategically speaking. Hopefully, Kevin will weigh in. To his credit, his comment about reacquiring control of the bridge is certainly bold and thought provoking.
Thanks for providing Dan
I have not followed this years election at all but at first glance the moore/oday platform and simple Q&A format seems much more to the point and concise when addressing the issues and proposed solutions facing our wondeful town
Kevin and Amy are completely on the right path to beginning with complex issues that affect everyone with great urgency.
They say: “we will help guide the community conversation to a better answer for development in Saugatuck than The Hamlet.”
Does that mean 8-30g affordable housing?
Today’s street layout is about the same as it was in 1925 when the population was 5,000 residents. My suggestion is hiring five or so “ special traffic police officers “ to be at certain locations/intersections during times where traffic is the heaviest. They’d allow cars to go through stop signs or red lights when the officer sees fit. This would help alleviate the congestion.
exactly Jack! some key skilled officers more often, including painting the boxes of some of those key intersections, although ugly.
Janine, Thank you for your compliment. I have another idea, but I’m borrowing it from Columbia, Maryland. In Columbia, home owners have to pay about $600 a year to the town for the privilege of living in Columbia. It does NOT count towards your property taxes or any other tax! Westport should adopt that feature to pay for the new police officers! Everyone in Westport pays $600 a year for the privilege of living in Westport ! Columbia Maryland does this!
Janine, I have another idea. There are 365 days in the year. We’re going to name each day after one resident for one year! Let’s say Dan Woog wants July 20th 2026 to be named “Dan Woog Day.” All he has to do is “donate” $200 dollars to the town and it’s a done deal. Parents can name a day for their son or daughter. It’s only $200 dollars and the money can be go to a special cause! This could become a really cool idea for high school kids!
Greenwich got rid of this on Greenwich Ave due to the absurd cost. Westport police officers routinely make over $200k/year (some over $300k/year!) and retire at 40 with full pensions. I don’t think we need to spend hundreds of thousand or more a year to have police officers wave cars through red lights. I
those police officers stop people from making gridlock and running red lights and they control the lights when on duty. but not an overtime slot a traffic patrol officer.
Reading the statements from the Democrat and Republican candidates, I truly wonder if they listen to their constituents.
I don’t think downtown parking is top of the problem list. I recall a recent study commissioned by the Town that concluded that no capital investment on this is needed. Sure, there are busy times but for the most part parking is available.
The Democrats’ silence on 8-30g is telling. Affordable housing is an issue championed by the left, and State is dominated by the progressive wing of their party. Are we going to bend on this?
The $400m capital spending program proposed by the Republicans is scary and sure to result in higher taxes. No thanks! No need for a $100m+ new police/fire/EMT mega-complex.
David Rosenwaks cannot be elected soon enough!
We need an independent look at all these issues, without the baggage of party politics. We need a Selectman who speaks to and like the people of Westport, brings thorny issues to everyone’s attention and gets the pulse of the Town – and reflects that pulse back to P&Z, RTM, BOE, etc. whenever an important decision needs to be taken.
David is immensely approachable, loves talking to everyone and speaks the plain vanilla language of the non-politician and good administrator.
While I see your points on other issues, your comment on downtown parking is unfortunate. Clearly, you are not a person who engages downtown. As a store owner and resident of Westport, and in speaking with many locals who support downtown, two of Westports Crown Jewels are our wonderful beaches and a vibrant and active downtown. This past weekend was Sacred Heart University’s Parents Weekend. Downtown was filled with families who had heard of our beautiful downtown and wanted to visit. Many towns have lost their downtowns to restaurants and condos, while others who deem their downtowns important, such as Fairfield, continue to thrive. Westport retailers and downtown shoppers are challenged weekly on the lack of parking. This has been an issue since I was a child. That said, the loss of more parking (<30 spots) due to the revamping of Parker Harding will have a massive impact to our downtown. A true leader of a town will and would identify, understand and address this equally important issue. Thank you.
Gianni, with reference to the “experts”, they love to call ppl with no knowledge of Westport and no clue how this town works experts.
Those experts were paid by the administration albeit with our tax contributions.
The RTM voted to allow that $appropriation, SPECIFICALLY AND ONLY to evaluate 3 potential suggestions for a parking garage.
They were not supposed to weigh in on whether a parking deck was necessary. Nor imo, by the way have they a clue since they don’t live in the town.
That was NOT what the RTM agreed.
But yet again this administration chose to throw in their own requests.
If they had stood on main street on a busy Saturday and asked retail and restaurant customers, and merchants their opinion, they would have realised very fast that we have a monumental problem with parking, one that implementing 2 hour limits does not solve. It is smoke and mirrors.
I was in town on Saturday.
I ate lunch and I had to leave immediately after because of the parking limits.
I would love to have spent 2 more hours shopping.
But could not because of this administration.
This is really helpful, Dan. Much appreciated!
I believe all of the candidates have the best intentions and want to resolve issues facing Westport but the question is who has the skills and experience to do it. Don & Andrea offer concrete information on tangible and realistic actions they will take if elected. They understand where there are opportunities for change and how to move projects forward. Four years of listening, community conversations and brown bag lunches sounds appealing but unfortunately isn’t going to lead to substantive progress in critical areas.
I could not disagree more with you.
They would be a disaster. Zero transparency, and not listening to the public and often vocal majority has been a hallmark of the current administration and Andrea is second selectwoman. As a supporter of both long lots and the gardens, it was the lack of transparency that caused a 2 year delay and counting. So much for moving it forward !
That is a disgrace and attributable to only the Tooker administration and her handpicked LLSBC who completely sidelined the building commission who should have had oversight from the getgo.
IMO, The hiring and paying of “their” so called experts who did as they were undoubtedly told, just a profligate waste of the towns money.
The surveys and charettes where questions were posed in such a way they could claim X or Y percent of people supported their agenda were and are laughable.
Many comments were made alluding to precisely this once residents completed surveys.
It is without a shadow of a doubt patently clear that ODay Moore will bulldoze through this current administrations disastrous agendas.
Note that Tooker, Moore And ODay sat on various boards such as bOF, BOE at some points over the past 12 years and allowed the schools in Westport to deteriorate, they allowed Parker Harding to deteriorate and they ignored the condition of the shed at Longshore.
The grift of the century bathrooms at compo were on their watch.
They allowed good interest rates to come and GO, when work should have been done on schools, to stop their deterioration.
Same goes for all other “maintenance” in this town.
When you don’t fix your roof on your house it will eventually go from a 1000 repair to a 1 million dollar rebuild.
If you don’t change the oil in your car for $100 your cars engine will fall apart.
This has been the leadership for 12 years.
A disaster.
Now we have massive tariffs and high interest rates with everything coming due at the same time.
We look fiscally inept.
We the resident will be footing the bill. School repairs/rebuilds cannot wait nor should they, but if you want to connect the dots, look no further than the current administration and who was on what board that let this happen.
It is precisely their fault that nothing has moved forward.
When the majority disagree with your agenda, you don’t hire experts to try and prove why your crappy agenda is good, you try and fix your agenda and make the residents happy.
SMH
Given that O’Day and current 2nd Moore seem to be running as a continuation of the incompetent Tooker administration, I read their message as “more of the same.” No thanks.
Did Ms Tooker ever say why she ignored requests from the State for input on the CT DOT maintenance facility for two years, before the whole area was clear cut? If Ms Tooker is incapable of answering, maybe Ms Moore can?
Thank you, Dan, for your coverage of the 2025 First Selectman race. The candidate responses highlight what truly distinguishes leadership in Westport: vision, independence, inclusion and accountability.
The most pressing issue for our town is not any single problem—it is leadership itself. Westport needs leaders with a proactive vision that aligns with our community’s values and delivers through genuine independence, engagement, and accountability.
For example, the absence of a long-term, comprehensive plan for our schools has led to years of neglect and costly consequences. We are now reacting with hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs at Kings Highway (HVAC), Coleytown (mold), and Long Lots (deterioration).
Similarly, the lack of a proactive vision for town growth has resulted in piecemeal decisions: tactical placement of affordable housing, traffic bottlenecks, and insufficient parking for our valued businesses. Once again, we find ourselves reacting—this time with top-down government measures that present a false sense of community involvement.
All three candidates are capable of managing issues as they arise. And if they need expertise, Westport is fortunate to be filled with successful, intelligent professionals ready to contribute. What our town requires now, however, is not reactive management but forward-looking leadership: transparent, inclusive, accountable, and guided by a clear vision rooted in community values.
Leadership means being out front—showing us what we can become, leading with authenticity, transparency, and accountability to results.
David Rosenwaks is the right leader for Westport.
The candidates all make similar promises to address pressing issues in Westport. The task for us voters is to recognize who is capable of fulfilling those promises. Kevin Christie’s experience in corporate strategy (IBM, Merrill Lynch and Madison Square Garden), leading teams and executing $40 billion in transactions, is a clear sign that he is not learning on the job. Amy Wistreich’s experience in risk management in architecture and planning tells me she will be invaluable as we look toward all the building projects in our future. But most compelling to me? Kevin Christie is the only candidate for First Selectman who did not change parties in order to run for office. Westport is a town that needs steady heads and experience, not aspirational politicians, to lead with conviction. I’m voting for the ones with normal-sized signs: Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich!
Annette Norton, yor comment is spot on. When I moved her in 1989, the first Westport News cover that I saw read “Town to consider 3 hour parking meters”. 36 years later we are still trying to figure it out. My support is for Christie and Wistreich. They are the pair that can get this done.
Here’s a few simple questions that might get more than word salad responses: Would you do anything differently than the last administration? If so, what? What do you disagree with your opponents about?
Otherwise it just becomes a popularity/name recognition contest, which is how we ended up with Tooker.
Brilliant comment, Richard!
Over the years, I’ve struggled with candidates from both political parties. However, I have never encountered anyone as sincere as David. I’ve seen him genuinely listen to parents and represent them with dedication. He consistently goes above and beyond in supporting his constituents. I am thrilled that he is running as an independent, and every other parent I talk to offers him their wholehearted endorsement, having shared similar positive experiences with him. David stays true to his word and works tirelessly for those he represents. In today’s political climate, honesty and integrity stand out far above the usual party rhetoric. My choice for whom to vote for is clear.
At least one candidate recognizes the significance of what the Connecticut Department of Transportation has in store for Westport… whether any of the candidates has plans to manage the Cribari Bridge beyond the throw your hands in the air and commission a study isn’t clear.
Some facts for all the candidates to keep in mind as they contemplate a project that will dominate their four year term with traffic jams, disgruntled citizens, and discontent.
The appearance of a state of disrepair is completely on CTDOT who have refused to repair the DECORATIVE historical grid work. Appearances matter, and CTDOT has sowed panic by failing to rust bust. They rate the structure of the bridge as good for at least 15 years.
The spurious promises of advocates for the complete replacement of the bridge to ban tractor trailers from the bridge are made in ignorance of the law or knowing falsehoods.
https://portal.ct.gov/dot/osta/through-trucks-and-prohibitions
Each candidate should take a look at what the elected officials and citizenry of Stonington, CT did to manage CTDOT’s overreach in July.
The impact of how the Cribari Bridge is handled by the next Selectman will be far reaching and will define his legacy. Let’s hope the ignominy stops with this election.
Interestingly enough, after happening to look on Google maps at my childhood home this weekend, I realized there is a very simple way to ensure Greens Farms Road does not become a bypass for trucks from I-95 if the Cribari Bridge is replaced.
I noticed something odd on the road next to my home and, when I zoomed in, there were four large, round cement planters across the road that blocked access to/from a main road. Presumably they were placed there to keep cut-through traffic out of an otherwise residential neighborhood. Everything is still accessible to locals, but just not as easily.
So, the answer is simply to put up a barrier on Greens Farms Road half way between South Compo and Hillspoint, probably just west of the Hales Road intersection, making Greens Farms Road a non-through street. It is not a state highway at that point so nothing really stopping the town from making it a pair of dead end streets.
For those that are concerned about Fire/Police Department or snow plow access, rather than using large cement planters, the town could alway install retractable bollards that can be triggered like they trigger traffic lights. Or do the reverse – maybe just raise them when I-95 is backed up.
Maybe couple that with switching 136 from Compo to Riverside and, with the obvious hard turn to the bridge, Waze will direct truck traffic north to the Post Road where it should be going anyway.
Easy-peasy. You can thank me later when it’s all done.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again – David Rosenwaks is the gift to Westport that will keep on giving. David is the one who conceived of and carried through with the RTM Community Conversation. As a member of the RTM, David found out first hand that the people of Westport barely knew who their representatives were on the RTM (Representative Town Meeting). So he came up with an idea, a plan, to hold a community conversation at the library that would bring together the members of the RTM and their constituents so they could meet each other and hopefully have the residents of Westport understand more clearly what exactly the RTM does in our town. The day was March 23 and David accomplished what he set out to do with the help of the team at the Westport Library. The Trefz Forum was packed with Westporters who were there to listen, learn, and meet with their RTM representatives. I know I learned a lot that day. And as First Selectman, David will continue to use this approach to town government -listen, learn, implement. First define the need, then listen to the solutions, decide the path to take, and then implement. David fully understands and embodies this approach to governing. David Rosenwaks will be the kind of leader who will make the decisions that will be best for this town and it won’t take him 36 years.
This is the type of leadership we are looking for for our town. Someone who wants to do this, for the community and has the same personal goals and views to improve this town.
I was referring to David Rozenwacks in this comment.
The specific issues confronting Westport are well known, sufficiently so that each candidate for First Selectman should have a well thought out position. I have asked the candidates for their positions and have not received any responses. It is important to know the specific positions of candidates on specific issues. It is even more important for a voter not to reject any candidate simply because the voter disagrees with the candidates position on one or more issues.
I support the Independent Party-endorsed candidate, David Rosenwaks, because I believe he’ll bring new energy to Westport – by building consensus, explaining how decisions are made, and staying open to feedback. He’s already promised weekly “brown bag” lunches at Town Hall so residents can easily share comments and concerns directly with him (despite the inexplicable criticism of that idea from a Republican Board of Finance member in the comments above, I think it’s a great place to start).
For what it’s worth, I do agree with O’Day and Moore that “Westport has an inability to move projects forward” and that “our review and decision-making process is polarized and slow.” But let’s be honest: Don O’Day sat on the Long Lots Building Committee – one of the most unnecessarily delayed and polarizing town projects I can think of – and Andrea Moore has served with Jen Tooker on the Select Board for years. They’ve had plenty of time and opportunity as leaders to tackle this problem – and experience only matters if you learn from it and use it to make things better.
David, on the other hand, brings a fresh perspective with relevant experience: a former investment banker, co-founder of a financial asset management firm, father of two children in the Westport Public Schools, and an elected RTM member who took the initiative to launch the RTM’s Community Conversation. He’s ready for this next step.
David is the independent voice we need in Westport, and I look forward to voting for him in November.
Comparing the candidates, only one “ticket” has a real track record that stands out positively for results for the betterment of this town. Mr. O’Day has been involved in the town and Town governance for about 20 years, and Ms. Moore for 10. Significantly, O’Day has a proven record as a consensus builder that gets things done. In the process, he has demonstrated core values of transparency and communication. The Coleytown Middle School rebuild is a great example. He built broad consensus and achieved a great result, while maintaining open lines of communication with all concerned, particularly the parents. As Chair of the BOE, O’Day presented and won the first ever unanimous school budget approvals, collaborating with BOF and RTM; increased graduation requirements at Staples after listening to parents; and, increased transparency and parent input for special education. He was instrumental in renovating CMS, during COVID, on time and under budget!
He drove unanimous funding approval of all CMS budget requirements. He also drove unanimous approval from EVERY town department for funding of Long Lots and the new Stepping Stones. Two decades of proven leadership and proven results. O’Day and Moore are the candidates best prepared and most qualified to lead our town, and the only ones with a relevant track record of results.
Interesting seeing how Westport politics have evolved since I was last here in the late 2000s. Reading this now from Idaho, out here, politics are blunt but decisions still get made. Westport, on the other hand, seems stuck in a cycle of endless committees and “community input” sessions that stall any real progress. Everyone’s talking about listening, but few seem ready to lead.
David Rosenwaks gets it
“ The most important issue facing Westport today is a need for greater transparency and accountability in our town government.”
Accountability! David nailed it right there! If Long Lots was in such disrepair and it took this long, who is responsible? What about the soccer coach debacle? Who is accountable for how that was handled? Parker Harding? It seems to me we need a fresh perspective and balanced view without party politicking. David is the most level headed person I have met. We need a better balance and someone who will get things accomplished in a timely manner.
I’ve lived here 25 years, am TRYING to age-in-place here, and have watched and directly participated in many town matters for the past 3 to 4 years.
I will vote for Christie/Wistreich without hesitation.
They get my vote because I believe they understand the most relevant issues, have experience in leading collaboratively yet decisively in both the private and public sectors, and have taken visible action to ensure Westport remains focused on a better Westport for its residents.
Though I do, you don’t have to agree on every last detail in their fulsome and well developed platform. Keep in mind, under the next term of office, we all will be working on the state-mandated Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD). This is like a North Star for the town, a SHARED vision set up by elected leaders, staff and residents. It is updated every 7 years.
The current administration has a sharp disregard for this POCD, as well as her constituents, instead coming up with a self-interested vision of being a “destination” that can only benefit monied real estate investors. The Republican candidates are expected to carry on the same as their mentor, residents be damned. Keep in mind the Republican candidates for Selectman also destroyed green space and the community garden with deliberate and subversive intent, under the cover of building a much needed new school. They created one of the most divisive and unnecessary controversies of the decade and fanned the flames until their scorched earth strategy led to a self-declared Napoleonic ”win.” They should NEVER be entrusted with our votes again.
The third candidate is inexperienced, has little relevant work experience, made little contribution as a short-tenured member of the RTM. I like Mr. Rosenwacks but would have preferred he remained a Democrat, sought reelection on the RTM, and shook up that inert body with accountability and fresh ideas. This would serve Westport far better than diluting the votes for Selectmen.
Finally, all politics is local. If you don’t like what is happening at the national level, show up at the local level. This can be fixed from the bottom up. For us, that means Westport -> Connecticut -> USA. Do not let candidates convince you otherwise. All politics is local. Fix the top by starting at the bottom of the political power structure.
Remember this: Experience means nothing in terms of no context. Experience? What did they actually DO and accomplish? In regards to just the word experience: Donald Trump has experience! SO WHAT!
I love that David wants to be an INDEPENDENT and NOT play the game of politics, locally. I like that he chose to go the way of not playing the game. He did not cave to fear mongering, accusations or divisive behavior.
Politics at the local level is politics at the national level and vice versa. I have heard some Republicans who say in quiet that they do not support Donald Trump but refuse to say it and why out loud. That is a problem. I do not trust people who refuse to say things out loud.
all politics is local. David is merely circumventing the system by going independent because he could not secure the nomination from his party of choice. He could have primaries but chose not to. That is self-interest.
Don’t get me wrong. I like him a lot but wish he had persevered at the RTM for another term.
I do not see David as a self interest kind of human. You would know that if you got to know him. I put town over party. I put country over party. I put person over party.
Toni,
So you’re against choice for all Westporters? Only one person can be nominated, but you can have several good candidates. Why not let the public decide instead of just a handful of party leadership.
If the respective Town Committees did a better job of nominating candidates that reflected the desires of the voters, the voters wouldn’t be so eager to sign petitions for other candidates.
As party endorsed candidates, we got the establishment old rich guys who feel entitled to be FS. Neither one of them mentions transparency and, is it any wonder.
Leadership of Town Boards (both the Republican administration and the Democrat BOE and BOF) have consistently put cronyism above values. Lord knows, the last thing this Town needs is Don O’Day continuing the failed policies of the current administration – and given the vapid “experience matters” campaign and photo ops with the FS, that certainly is what he’s selling.
But Mr Christie’s campaign has lacked detail about just about anything, just vague nothingness. And his recusal from the BOE coaching hearings had no clear basis – it just seems like an effort to avoid having to stand behind a vote in the current campaign. That’s leadership? If the DTC has their fingers on the pulse of (a strongly Democratic) Town, why do they keep losing BOS races?
Westport really does need a change. Mr Rosenwaks seems unbeholden to the same old people who have put this Town where it is today. He has my vote, without hesitation.
Toni I agree with you on so many issues… except this one. Harrington was rejected by his party for BOE and in my minds eye he was one of the only members with a voice of reason and always keeping the whole community in mind with his good sense of right and wrong.
He will have my vote as an Independent candidate. I beginning to think our Republican and Democratic Committees
have been compromised in some respect. Are we supposed to ignore how O’Day and Christie fell down on issues so important to their respective boards and thus the Community as well?
Personally I think the US should be welcoming Independent Candidates. Both mainstream Parties are too fractured and mostly beholden to their Party at the expense of public good in too many cases.
Town transparency and accountability have been missing for years. Our town officers have not been forthcoming about decisions and relationships with developers and real estate companies influencing decisions taht are left unexplained. Time for a change from both established parties and for an independent choice.
Fred Fassman
Is this the same John O’Day who sat on the BOE and ultimately Chaired for years while interest rates were close to zero and did nothing ( while a finance exec no less) to provide for necessary maintenance and physical upgrades to our schools especially after the Kings Highway significant mold problem (2005-2009 at the least while my son attended K-4)
Now he wants to provide leadership and vision after allowing our schools to crumble to the point where we now have been forced to finance $120,000,000 at an exhorborant interest rate to replace just one of the schools under his jurisdiction not to mention our other schools that have needed serious attention as well for years now.
Is this the same John O’Day who sat on the recent LLBC which callously and without transparency booted The Garden neighboring but NOT Long Lots property with no reservations or consideration when they were mandated to only build a school?
Is this the same Andrea Moore who did nothing to differentiate herself from the disappointing leadership of Jen Tooker or provide any apparent independent thought to the position of Second Selectperson? Is this this the kind of “experience” we should vote for? Personally I think not as a 60 year resident of Westport.
Mr Christie on the other hand dodged a significant issue with the barest of reasoning if at all plausible. The relationship at issue which prompted his recusal was never suitably explained that I was aware of. Not a good look for a leader.
David Rosenwaks is a fresh start. No previous “baggage”, sensible and genuine. He has my vote without reservation.