To the Voters of the City of Middletown,
I am humbled and very grateful for the support I received during last Tuesday’s election. Your overwhelming support will continue to remind me of your confidence in my leadership and strengthens my resolve to continue my service to our wonderful community of Middletown.
I can assure you that I will never take your trust for granted and will continue to work hard as Minority Leader on the Council. I have the distinction and honor in serving with my colleagues Deputy Mayor Joseph Bibisi, David Bauer and Deborah Kleckowski, who bring to our council a wealth of experiences and readiness to serve you.
On behalf of our Minority Team, I promise that we will support a more meaningful and consistent willingness to work in a collaborative and bipartisan manner with the Democratic Majority members on the council. We are after all,
With this being said, it is my hope, that our council members, will realize that when opportunities rise on issues that we disagree on, regardless of party affiliation, these times have to be tempered with a need to support Mayor Guiliano on critical issues, so he can move our city’s agenda forward! I have always been a strong supporter of a bipartisan approach to government and believe that at times we need to hang up our party coats outside the chamber and address city issues that affect our residents, i.e. management appointees, budgets, health, public safety and infrastructure issues which will all surface over the next two years.
I pride myself as being a Community Politician and my resolve to continue on this path was strengthened as I went door to door in our city’s neighborhoods and heard very loud and clear the need for our council members to reach out to our city’s residents to listen and gauge public opinion on various issues that effect our community’s quality of life. To this end, our Republican Team is supporting the Community Conversation model in a mini Town Hall Meeting format, as the conduit to public opinion. We will work collaboratively with our Democratic colleagues to ensure that this model does occur during this council term. In essence, allowing our stakeholders (residents & taxpayers) the opportunity to engage in deliberations and be part of the decision making process. This openness, has worked in Community policing, so there is no reason why it can’t work in city government!
In line with our Council Fiduciary responsibility, in light of our limited income if any from the state, our Republican members will consistently monitor expenditures, appropriations and city services, to ensure that our City Departments will provide for prioritized services, tempered with avoidance of unnecessary spending, and opportunities to seek out shared services, both inter and intra departmentally.
We will need to forge a New Direction to meet our fiscal challenges over the next two years by working more closely with our city’s greatest resource, that of our city work force. It is now time to seek out opportunities by ‘changing attitudes’ of Labor and Management in order to develop a more meaningful way that all of our city unions will be able to cross divisions of labor and work in a more cooperative manner to reduce costs, avoid duplication of effort, share expertise, services and resources to help reduce cost of services to our taxpayers. They need to be seated at our table, as a partner, to help us reach our budget goals and essence experience a paradigm shift within our city’s labor force. They did it once; let’s not squander this opportunity again!
Again thank you for this opportunity to serve you and know that as your minority representative, our Republican Team will always be an advocates for smart growth, through open space development and alternative energy projects, which will ultimately bring change and more fiscal responsibility in city government!
On a personal note, I also want to thank my wife Shirley, my family and friends for their continued support and willingness to share me with the community I love.
Councilman Philip J. Pessina
Republican Minority Leader
(860) 346-0348 – Home
(860) 559-5211 - Cell
8 comments:
I am looking forward to working with the entire council. As the only new person I look to my experienced colleagues for guidance and support to help me to realize the full potential of my abilities. I am in full agreement with Councilman Phil Pessina's goals, and illustration of how to proceed as an elected body and not to be polarized by
"party-based" politics. Let's us all remember, a good for Middletown is a good idea for Middletown-period. The promise I make to the residents of Middletown is that I will work as a public servant and leave politics behind.
I invite residents to participate in our government; attend meetings, write letters, run for office. For it is only if we work together can we ensure Middletown will be an even better place to live not only today but in the future.
Thank you for your support. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your concerns and ideas.
Deborah Kleckowski
860-716-7672 cell
346-1390
votedebktoday@yahoo.com
Clearly a number of our local officials read Middletown Eye. All this talk of working together and wanting better for Middletown. Can we collectively put that talk to action and lead the clean up of the Flowers St, the dead end near the Rt 9 on ramp off East Main? It an illegal land fill with solid waste over flowing a dumpster for weeks, yes weeks. It’s a disgrace. How can we promote development when the last two thing visitors see leaving Middletown via Rt 9, a blight building (old Connecticut lighting center), and then massive pile of garbage in plain sight of the on ramp?
In response to Councilman Phil Pessina's and the Republican reprensentation, their ambitiuos agenda to bring the Common Council to the public through neighborhood meetings is one that will be received well by many I am certain.
It disheartens me though that we as a community have yet to be able to put aside the party line mentality and continue to seat a Mayor with an opposite party council majority that refuse to work togehter as a team and bring resolve for the betterment of the City and relief to the taxpayers.
In todays economic times we should all be well rehearsed on the negative impact that party lines bring to the table. Our highest of government representation has proven through the years that this process does not work, hence a multi-trillion dollar deficit and a failing economy just to mention a couple of obvious examples.
Maybe we as a community need to re-access our charter and look at the blueprint as to how the council is seated, we know that having a strong majority accomplished little to nothing. Any business to be conducted and or enhancement to and for the City takes time and precise planning, integrating the political machine does nothing but create delays and in turn increases cost of doing business, something the taxpayers can no longer afford.
With a bi-partisan and balanced Council the business of the City can become more efficient and allow for the requests of the taxpayers be answered across the board as opposed to special interest groups stifling and delaying progress for the community.
To those who dedicate their time to the community in a political capacity, we thank you and voted for you in beliefs that you could and would be rational in your decision as to the betterment and the prudent expenditure of tax dollars, with that being said it is time you listen to the cries of the community and start working together by putting aside your personal agendas and support those who have supported you.
Give the Middletown residents the respect they deserve and a commmunity they are proud to call home.
Mr. Lancia--
I agree with and applaud your sentiments, although you're giving the democrats enough credit here. Interestingly, the democrats are castigated elsewhere on this site for some of the proposed changes (I know it isn't you doing it). So we're being blamed for the proposed changes on one posting, while the republican caucus is being credited for the proposed changes in another posting. Somehow, that seems unfair to me.
You ARE aware that the Community conversations and neighborhood meetings are proposals that part of the same set of changes, which are being brought forward by the democratic caucus, no?
To be fair to Councilman Pessina, I believe he immediately articulated support for the idea. But to the best of my knowledge, this one originated in the democratic caucus.
I'm really unclear what we could do to amend our charter that might make the process fairer. People run for council and get elected. The reason democrats predominate is because there are far more registered democrats in Middletown than republicans. Strikes me that if the electorate is dissatisfied with the government it is receiving, it'll turn out to vote that government out of office. Or change registration, and vote the government out of office.
You know, a 36% turnout (percentage in the last election) certainly indicates a lack of awareness, but I'm going to suggest it also indicates a certain satisfaction with the current body of elected officials. Don't just look at the mayor or the council--on the board of education, not one incumbent was rejected. On the planning and zoning commission, only 1 incumbent was rejected. Think it might be that most of the citizens feel their city government is maybe doing a pretty good job?
For my part, I readily agree to put aside any personal agenda and work for the betterment of the community. Service requires sacrifice....I knew that when I first ran.
Mr. Streeto says that a 36% voter turnout means that people are happy with "the current body of elected officials." Perhaps, but low-voter turnout is more likely evidence of an alienated and disengaged electorate who no longer believe their vote matters. And I fear that Mr. Streeto's self-serving interpretation only promotes voter apathy. It is the job of elected leaders to encourage voter involvement, not pander to our base electoral instincts.
Stephen--
I take your point. I compare the turnout to 2007 (about 30%, no mayor's race to garner people's interest), and, above all, 2005 (45% turnout, resulting in a change in administration). Clearly, there are a number of people in Middletown who turn out when they're upset, and stay home when they're not.
But you're right in a larger sense. I'm not happy the turnout was 36 percent. I'd prefer to see it at 80 or 90 percent. And I, for one, would welcome any and all suggestions to increase it, and to gain people's interest.
One last point: votes "don't matter"? This race was decided by less than 500 votes. I'm not sure how to approach someone who says "my vote doesn't matter" under those circumstances.... that really is awfully close. Perhaps a reminder of the 2000 presidential election (which came down to a small number of votes in 1 state) or Gejdenson-Munster (26 votes out of close to 100,000 cast).
Then we have the "it doesn't matter, they're going to do the same thing in office no matter who's elected" crew..... but I'm not sure how to reach them. Barack Obama did--but I don't have his charisma, his intellect, or his leadership skills.
A 36 percent voter turnout rate is more likely to indicate that we have too low of a homeownership rate in this city. if Middletown had more than 49% homeowners, you would see higher turnout. Not saying anything bad about folks who rent, but just stating a recognized fact that voter turnout rates are higher among folks who own their own homes and have purchased into a community. Note to P&Z and our city planning director- WE DONT NEED MORE APARTMENT BUILDINGS APPROVED.
Mr. Streeto,
You and I agree that votes DO matter. And you're right -- we only have to look to this last city-wide election for proof, not to mention the last several presidential election and numerous other state and local elections.
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