Derby Republicans nominated Mayor Anthony Staffieri for a fifth term Wednesday, and said their biggest opponent isn’t necessarily the city’s Democrats.
It’s the economy.
“We wanted to do more the last two years. Believe me, we wanted to do more,” said Judy Szewczyk, an incumbent member of the city’s tax board and Staffieri’s campaign manager. “But we couldn’t because of the economy. We know people are going to look at downtown (redevelopment) and ask questions. But we have a good administration here. We’re going to circle the wagons around the mayor and dig in.”
“The bottom line with this group is that we want to help Derby,” she said.
Staffieri was nominated by 21 supporters in a side room at Bar None on Elizabeth Street. The mood was jovial and laid back. In an impromptu speech of about three minutes, Staffieri cited the construction of Griffin Hospital’s cancer center as a crowning achievement of his administration.
Click the play button below to listen to Staffieri accept his party’s nomination for mayor.
Staffieri also cited the recent $1.6 million sale of the East Derby Water Works as a boost for the city. The Board of Aldermen voted July 16 to use $280,000 from that sale to put new lights and visitor bleachers at the Ryan athletic complex.
Staffieri said the cancer center and the East Derby Water Works sale were similar in that both were complicated issues to get off the ground and to guide to completion — but members of his administration helped to make it happen.
“It’s been a constant challenge, but we didn’t shirk from it. That’s how it’s been,” Staffieri said.
The mayor said taxes have remained in check and the city is in good financial shape, despite the stagnant economy.
“It’s digging into a pile of do-do and finding a rose in there,” Staffieri said. “And we have. In many cases we did what we had to. And just by sticking together and doing what’s right for Derby.”
Staffieri was nominated by friend and former Alderman Joe Bomba.
Bomba said the mayor “breathes, lives and bleeds Derby.”
The rest of the slate has many familiar names, including David Lenart (former Alderman running for Alderman), Sam Pollastro, Jr. (former Alderman running for the tax board) and Casey Picheco (former member of the school board running for a seat on the school board).
The Derby Democrats will nominate a slate Friday. They are expected to nominate Anita Dugatto for mayor.
The Republican-endorsed slate is below. An asterisk denotes an incumbent.
Mayor
Anthony Staffieri *
City Clerk
Laura Wabno *
Treasurer
Keith McLiverty *
Constable
Peter Duhaime *
Alderman, Ward 1
Beverly Moran *
Anthony Szewczyk
Beth Allaire
Alderman, Ward 2
Gerardo G Borrelli
David Lenart
Joseph DiMartino *
Alderman, Ward 3
Richard P Dziekan *
Scott Boulton *
Peter Olenoski
Board of Apportionment and Taxation
William S.N. Cummings *
Carolyn Duhaime *
Sabatino (Sam) Pollastro, Jr.
Christopher Carloni
Harvey Finkel
Judith A Szewczyk *
Board of Education
Laura J Harris *
Denise A Bottone *
James V. Gildea
Rebecca O’Hara *
Casey Picheco
Joseph Szewczyk
