Ansonia Mayor James Della Volpe accepted his party’s nod for an eighth term in office Thursday, and after thanking his family for sticking with him on what has been “a rough ride at times,” delved straight into the hot-button issues of taxes and education.
The mayor called the hike to the mill rate passed by the city’s tax board in May a “difficult but necessary tax increase that we were forced to undertake to preserve the gains in education that we helped create during the recent years.”
He then cast himself and his party as the true protectors of education in the city, and later chastised adversaries for making “pithy remarks and shallow promises.”
“Both parties will talk about education this year,” Della Volpe said. “The Democratic Party, working with some Republicans and independents, is the one that made the tough decision to pay to move it forward in a way that maximizes opportunities for the children of Ansonia.”
Della Volpe went on to list a number of things he wants to accomplish if voters return him to office, from knocking down the federally-subsidized housing project on Olson Drive to working with the new owners of the Farrel property on Main Street on a public-private redevelopment of the site.
Click the play button below to hear Della Volpe’s remarks in full.
About 70 Democrats gathered at Molto Bene Italian American Kitchen on Wakelee Avenue to nominate a slate of candidates.
Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Bart Flaherty nominated Della Volpe, saying the mayor has kept “a steady hand at the wheel” during the greatest economic meltdown since the Great Depression.
Tara Kolakowski, government liaison in Della Volpe’s office and the city’s acting personnel director, seconded the nomination, saying Della Volpe embodies commitment, respect, and truthfulness.
“He bleeds Ansonia,” Kolakowski said. “He’s been committed for the past 14 years, and he’ll continue that commitment for as long as we back him, and we will back him as long as he wants.”
“Honesty and integrity have been the cornerstone of his administration,” Flaherty said. “His vision for Ansonia has never wavered, his accomplishments many.”
“Through his efforts we have one of the most vibrant downtowns in the Valley,” Flaherty said, noting a recent $480,000 grant awarded to the city to spruce up West Main Street.
Della Volpe also mentioned the grant during his speech, saying the city getting the money “did not happen by coincidence.”
“It took a coordinated effort that will be the model for our future activities to rebuild our economy,” the mayor said.
One change for Della Volpe compared to his last election campaign: he will have an opponent, with Republican Dave Cassetti announcing a candidacy last month. Republicans will formally nominate a slate of candidates Tuesday.
“I’m looking forward to discussing the issues with David,” Della Volpe said after the caucus. “As long as we discuss the issues.”
Elsewhere on the ticket, eight-term incumbent Town and City Clerk Madeline Bottone announced she’s retiring at the end of her current term, and nominated her assistant, Elizabeth Lynch, to take her spot.
“It was time for me,” Bottone, who before her 16 years in her current post was an assistant in the clerk’s office since 1981, said after the caucus, calling her decision “bittersweet.”
Still, she said if Lynch wins in November, the clerk’s position will be “in capable hands.”
“They’re big shoes to fill,” Lynch said of Bottone. “She’s ben a great example to follow.”
Eileen Krugel, the chairperson of the Democratic Town Committee and the city’s grant writer, said the party’s slate has a strong mix of incumbents and new nominees — like Sal Hanaif, currently a member of the Economic Development Commission nominated Thursday as candidate for Seventh Ward Alderman, and Noreen DeCiucis, nominated for a post on the Board of Education.
“We have a great team, we’ll just have to work hard,” Krugel said.
Here is the Democrats’ full slate. An asterisk denotes an incumbent.
Mayor
James T. Della Volpe *
City Treasurer
Ron Greski *
Town & City Clerk
Elizabeth Lynch
First Ward Alderman
Edward Adamowski *
Peter Marcinko *
Second Ward Alderman
Louis Uvino
Jamie Puro
Third Ward Alderman
Joseph Jeanette, Jr. *
Denice Hunt
Fourth Ward Alderman
Anthony Delucia *
Jerome Fainer *
Fifth Ward Alderman
Jeff Gould
Sixth Ward Alderman
Scott Nihill *
Gene Sharkey *
Seventh Ward Alderman
Sal Hanaif
David Knapp *
Board of Education
Fran DiGiorgi *
Noreen Deciucis
City Sheriffs
Timothy Holman *
Lou Macero *
Sean Rowley *
