Carmen DiCenso
As an elected official, nothing is more important to the taxpayers and voters of Derby than transparency. Saying that you are transparent and actually being transparent are two very different things. While the mayor likes to use the word “transparency,” City Hall could not be operating any further from its definition.
Definition of “Transparent” from Merriam-Webster:
- Free from pretense or deceit
- Easily detected or seen through
- Readily understood
- Characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices
In a recent editorial in the New Haven Register, the mayor said, “We cannot and should not try to build a future for Derby behind closed doors.” Now this is something we can agree on!
However, early on Sunday, November 22, 2015, the mayor and her closest associates met behind closed doors in city hall to open bids for engineering services related to the WPCA and its wastewater treatment facilities without publicly posting the meeting or notifying the bidders, a direct violation of the simplest interpretation of the word “transparency.”
This single action alone is a direct contradiction of her pledge of transparency.
The mayor and her closest colleagues have also been boasting about Derby’s test scores, school attendance, graduation rates, new businesses, a drop in unemployment, etc. It’s one thing to take credit for something you have done. It’s quite another to take credit for something you have nothing to do with.
Definition of “Integrity” from Merriam-Webster:
- Firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values
- An unimpaired condition
- The quality or state of being complete or undivided
I take issue with the mayor taking credit for improving the test scores. Derby’s Superintendent of Schools, teachers and students deserve the credit for their hard work.
As for Derby’s unemployment rate, the mayor is taking credit for a 3 percent reduction. How many residents of Derby has she hired to cause such a significant decrease? Where exactly did this statistic come from? She made this statement without a source.
Additionally, if the mayor is going to take credit for new businesses, she should also take credit for the empty storefronts across our city, especially Walmart and Adam’s, two of Derby’s largest tax resources that have closed their doors and spaces remain vacant.
My plan is to attract new businesses as a long-term investment in Derby; work with them to prosper, grow and remain in Derby. As a result, our tax base will grow and prosper.
According to Jerry Nocerino, the Pershing Drive shopping plaza developer, “Carmen DiCenso is very well organized and has resolved many development challenges that my companies have been faced with in the Valley area in the last 20 years. My partners and I are very grateful for his prompt service to help us keep our projects on schedule and on budget.”
As I mention in my previous letter, my objective as mayor is to restore communication with the Board of Aldermen, Tax Board, Board of Education, and all other departments and commissions within our city. My goal as mayor is to respect and empower these boards and commissions, give credit where credit is due, and not take credit for the hard work of others.
The writer is the president of the Derby Board of Aldermen and is running for mayor as a Democrat.
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