We endorse Camillo for first selectman
For Greenwich, history can provide lessons, and nostalgia can be perilous. As Democrat William Kelly challenges incumbent Republican First Selectman Fred Camillo, it’s important to recognize what Greenwich has learned, and what it needs to move past.
At a momentous time in world history, Camillo distinguished his first term with a response to the pandemic that set an inspirational example for many other communities. He acted swiftly to enforce mask mandates and social distancing, even shuttering overcrowded Greenwich Point. He also moved quickly and creatively to help businesses recover by, for example, closing off parts of iconic downtown Greenwich Avenue for outdoor dining.
Camillo is as nostalgic as they come about his hometown, but he is also a student of history. In this case, that history was personal. Two of his great-grandparents were among the Greenwich victims of the pandemic of 1918.
Camillo’s steady hand to guide Greenwich through this crisis would be enough to earn him our endorsement of a second term. Kelly, however, brings formidable credentials to the race that merit consideration.
Why not William Kelly?
We like candidates to have a working knowledge of the machinations of government. Kelly has earned the rare hat trick of service to the town, having been elected to the Representative Town Meeting, the Board of Education and the Board of Estimate and Taxation. He has never been shy about challenging the status quo. Greenwich has a way of becoming entrenched in outdated habits, which has resulted in subpar upkeep of its parks and schools.
Which also makes his profession as a construction litigator an intriguing skill to bring to the office. He’s exactly the kind of person who might be drafted as a consultant to accelerate projects that have languished.
High on his list is improving fire response times in the town’s Northwest corner. It’s an issue that has vexed residents of those neighborhoods for too long.
Kelly says he would use the bully pulpit of the office to get things done. We believe he would be a vocal champion for the town’s best interests, but it gets to the root of his biggest potential shortcoming as a first selectman. Mr. Kelly is part of the establishment too, and tends to reflexively speak of how Greenwich could do things better. Not differently, but better. It needs to do both, which is a welcome part of Mr. Camillo’s vision and execution.
Why Fred Camillo?
While Kelly brings welcome experience on the most influential town boards, Camillo defined himself during his decade as a state representative as someone who could confidently navigate the tightrope across the aisle. For all his passion for the town, he also brings a welcome willingness to see beyond its borders. Not only does he welcome the possibilities of working with Stamford’s next mayor — whether it is unaffiliated Bobby Valentine or Democrat Caroline Simmons — but he recognizes the need to maintain ties with peers on the other side of the state line in New York.
While we applaud Camillo’s stalwart leadership through COVID-19 — despite blowback from some of his constituents — he has also earned a second term for his ability to launch other initiatives.
That includes instituting a welcome blight ordinance and pushing forward on what was perhaps his defining campaign pledge two years ago, the leveraging of public-private partnerships to fund town projects. A $5 million donation from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation for a new Eastern Greenwich Civic Center would accelerate something that has been high on many residents’ wish lists for decades. Camillo’s own list also includes securing funds for a new municipal skating rink, upgrading Roger Sherman Baldwin Park and adding a dog park. In response to wariness about branding that can come with such partnerships, he pledges that they “will be done tastefully.”
True to his inner sports junkie, Camillo has a competitive nature as well as a mental scoreboard of what he’d like to accomplish. That worked to the town’s advantage as he recognized the pandemic as an opportunity to experiment with Greenwich Avenue. He’s now envisioning expanding outdoor dining to other neighborhoods.
The new board
We’ve never been fans of the bizarre framing of the Board of Selectmen election. It’s the rare instance where someone can win a seat they didn’t pursue, as the board is filled by the first selectman and the top two vote-getters among the remaining candidates. In this case, that would pit the runner-up for the top spot against selectman candidates Lauren Rabin (an Republican incumbent) and Democrat Janet Stone McGuigan. Both are well-suited for the duties of the position, which is largely limited to constituency work. Rabin coordinated the “Hello Neighbor” campaign to help shield older town residents at the outbreak of the pandemic, and chairs Re-Imagine Greenwich to boost the business districts. Stone McGuigan brings unique credentials, having coordinated environmental regulation policies in Washington, D.C. Not only could she bring welcome expertise on environmental issues at a time when Greenwich is confronting flooding and similar challenges, but she promises to help the town secure COVID relief funds.
Any permutation of the board promises to be strong, but we feel Camillo is best suited to continue leading it. Kelly would make history as the first Democratic first selectman in two decades, but Camillo has already carved his mark by guiding the town through COVID. Fred Camillo has earned the right to continue writing new chapters for Greenwich.