Passero has New London moving forward

Mayor Michael Passero, the second mayor elected under the new form of government, has demonstrated how a mayor can effectively use the levers of that office to create progress.

Nine years ago, New London voters approved a change in the way their city is governed, jettisoning the former city manager-City Council system that diluted power and responsibility among seven council members and opting to instead install a strong mayor, elected by the voters, as chief executive.

Mayor Michael Passero, the second mayor elected since that transformation, has demonstrated how a mayor can effectively use the levers of that office to create progress. New London is trending in the right direction.

Aided by employment growth at Electric Boat and its offices in New London and recognizing a trend toward urban living among both millennials and retirees, Passero emphasized the potential for housing to drive development. Utilizing a rejuvenated development authority, directed by veteran planner Peter Davis, and hiring a new director for the city’s Office of Development and Planning, Felix Reyes, Passero has put in place an administration responsive to developers.

About 800 units of housing have either been recently completed, are under construction or in the planning stages.

That housing could well be the chicken that gives birth to the egg of redevelopment in the city’s downtown and fills long-vacant storefronts.

But Passero has not pulled the levers to drive development alone. His decision to create a human services position, placing Jeanne Milstein as director, came at a critical time. New London’s holistic response to the opioid crisis, working with neighboring communities, has become a model for the state and beyond. Working with the Homeless Hospitality Center, Milstein’s office has helped address the challenge of homelessness in a compassionate fashion.

Passero’s administration pushed the New London Housing Authority to work with federal housing officials, resulting in the closing of the squalid Thames River public housing high-rises, its tenants relocated using Section 8 vouchers. That land now becomes available for potential development tied to the State Pier. It was an impressive achievement.

A city police force, which for years was roiled by internal strife, has coalesced under the leadership of Chief Peter Reichard, Passero’s pick.

On the horizon, New London faces the prospects of its port being transformed into a major hub for the assembly and transfer of wind-turbine components for offshore wind farms, providing a major economic boost. At an Oct. 10 debate, Passero pledged his assurances that the deal to utilize the State Pier property will include a fair revenue stream for the host city. We’re betting he delivers.

Yes, the mayor has had his missteps, most rooted in a failure to build grassroots support or properly communicate. Such was the case with his Pay-As-YouThrow proposal to boost recycling. The idea proved unpopular, but its failure gave birth to a task force that came up with ideas to achieve the same goal, but with bottom-up support, not top-down mandates. It is a model Passero should consider repeating if re-elected.

Similarly, Passero’s plan to divest of costly municipal buildings, then rent space for some city offices — focusing resources on City Hall renovations — made sense, but the administration’s rollout was terrible.

The biggest black mark involved the massive public works project to address long-standing flooding problems on Pequot Avenue adjacent to Greens Harbor Beach. Costs spiraled from the original $2 million estimated to more than $5 million, without Passero ever returning to the council to explain and get its backing. This was an abuse of mayoral power that cannot be repeated.

The Republican challenger, City Councilor Martin T. Olsen Jr., has done a great job of pointing to Passero’s shortcomings. He has, however, failed to offer any vision of where he would take the city if elected. Offering reasons not to vote for the other guy is not enough.

Green Party candidate Frida Berrigan has not made the case she is ready to be chief executive. Berrigan’s party botched the process of getting her name on the ballot, forcing a write-in campaign. That hardly instills confidence she can run a city. Berrigan promises “more for your family, for your kids, for your neighbors.” Guess who would pay for it.

Michael Passero has done more than enough to deserve being rehired by voters and has earned The Day’s endorsement for a second term as mayor of New London.