In the video, which was recorded on Monday, Oct. 25, Dziekan talks about what he sees as Derby’s most pressing issues, what he’s accomplished in his first two terms, and how he plans to encourage more economic development.
Election Info
Please press play to watch, and be sure to check out the Derby Voters’ Guide, which The Valley Indy just published in advance of Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021).
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Be sure to check out the “election information” page on the City of Derby’s website, too.
Reaction To Two Points Raised
Dziekan raised a few questions about DiMartino’s candidacy, so The Valley Indy reached out to the DiMartino campaign for comment (Dziekan’s campaign was afforded the same opportunity after DiMartino’s video interview).
Both campaigns were told to keep their reactions to 100 words per question.
In the video, Dziekan said that his campaign offered to debate DiMartino but DiMartino declined. Dziekan said DiMartino was running a “silent” campaign and that the public deserved a debate between the candidates.
Linda Fusco, DiMartino’s campaign manager, said Dziekan’s campaign reached out in July. DiMartino’s campaign deferred a decision until after Labor Day, with Fusco saying DiMartino was concentrating on knocking on doors. Fusco said Dziekan’s campaign didn’t reach out again. She said Dziekan probably did not want to debate because the DiMartino campaign was asking questions about how many hours the mayor spends at a part-time job as a police officer in Bethany.
In the video, Dziekan, in the context of talking about being a full-time mayor, said DiMartino doesn’t understand the role of mayor, and seems to want to treat it or structure it as a normal office job with set hours and to “hide in the office.”
Aniello Malerba III, the chairman of the Derby Democratic Town Committee, said:
“Joe DiMartino understands that the Mayor needs to show up everyday so he can be accessible to his constituents. The Mayor sets the tone by his behavior. A mayor is not accessible if he is working full shifts in Bethany multiple times per week for the last four years. Joe has pledged to be a full time mayor in the next term. Rich Dziekan has refused to make the same commitment. Actions speak louder than words.”
Photo By Jason Edwards
Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan
