The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
History made in Middletown
MIDDLETOWN — The youngest mayor in the city’s history took office Tuesday night during a rousing and wellattended inauguration in an hourlong ceremony in the auditorium of Middletown High School.
Ben Florsheim, 27, a former aide to U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, joins the ranks of youthful Middletown mayors, including Dan Drew, Paul Gionfriddo and Michael Cubeta.
“I am honored and humbled beyond words by the faith you have placed in me, and I ask of you all tonight, just as I know you expect of me, that we help each other live up to that faith,” Florsheim said in his address.
“I imagine I am not alone in feeling that I didn’t quite choose Middletown as much as Middletown chose me — by welcoming me, nurturing me, and offering the promise of the beloved community,” said Florsheim, whose family traveled from Wisconsin to attend the proceedings.
“I’ve watched Ben work with community leaders with other members of Congress, with mayors and first selectmen across the state, with state legislators. He’s going to hit the ground running,” Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said.
“He will do a tremendous job. He loves this beautiful city and Middletown clearly loves him back,” she said.
A diverse group of individuals took their places on stage during a night of several firsts: the first AfricanAmerican councilwoman, Jeanette White; and the first LGBTQ treasurer, Steven Kovach.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said she loved Middletown for its heterogeneity and vibrancy.
“Take a look at those who are taking office today. They represent what is best about our beautiful city,” she said.
A lifelong Middletown resident, Bysiewicz administered the ceremonial oath of office to Florsheim, who had been officially sworn into his post at noon by Judge Joseph Marino at City Hall.
“It is incredibly humbling and exciting,” Knoll Peterson said. “I have believed since Day One the vision that Ben has laid out for Middletown and I’m excited to get to play a part in that.”
The new mayor thanked the voters who put him in office — “the people who believed in our vision and helped make it happen from Day One — some of them, in fact, who believed in it before I even believed it was possible. You know who you are, and I hope you know how truly grateful and humbled I am.”
He enjoys the distinction of being Connecticut’s first Democratic millennial mayor. New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, a Republican, first elected in 2013 at 26, was the first municipal leader in the state who was a member of that generation.
Florsheim said a big part of the reason why he chose to run for office while still relatively young was to make an impact on his community, a goal common with many young adults these days.
“They see a city and they see a world where they see a future for themselves. Having that perspective of ‘I want to have a hand in helping to create the city and community that I will continue to live in’ for, hopefully, many, many years to come is an important thing,” Florsheim said.
“There’s a certain sense of urgency among young people today that I think was present in this campaign to some extent,” he added.
Council members sworn in were Democrats Eugene Nocera, Meghan R. Carta, Jeanette Blackwell (White), Vincent J. Loffredo, Darnell Ford, Edward McKeon, Grady L. Faulkner Jr. and Barbara Knoll Peterson, and Republicans Philip J. Pessina, Anthony S. Gennaro Sr., Edward Ford Jr. and Linda Salafia.
Others sworn in were: Daniel Ryan, corporate counsel; Steven Kovach, treasurer; Anita S. DempseyWhite, Deborah Cain,
Justin Taylor, Delita RoseDaniels and Dina Ford, Board of Education; Catherine Johnson, Thomas J. Pattavina and Richard Pelletier, Planning and Zoning Commission; along with alternates Kellin Atherton and Shanay N. Fulton; and Kathryn Adams, Board of Assessment Appeals.
Adams’ fellow board members, John Kilian and Leslie Spatola, were not in attendance. They’ll be sworn in at another date.
Common Councilwoman Bobbye Knoll Peterson, Florsheim’s former campaign manager, is the mayor’s new chief of staff, he announced Tuesday afternoon.Shedidn’ttakethe oath during the ceremony as Florsheim said the Common Council will choose a replacement.
“It is incredibly humbling and exciting,” Knoll Peterson said. “I have believed since Day One the vision that Ben has laid out for Middletown and I’m excited to get to play a part in that.”
Elected officials are not “the change makers,” Florsheim said in his address. “We are the conduits, the vessels, for the actual work, the everyday organizing, and the dreams and aspirations of those who put us here, trusting that we would do our best to make a positive difference in their lives. To misunderstand or to forget that would surely be our undoing.”
Outgoing mayor Dan Drew offered words of advice to his successor, the first of which resounded with Florsheim. It took Drew a full two years to feel comfortable being addressed as mayor, he said.
“Getting used to playing that role is going to take some time,” Florsheim said.
Drew also urged the new mayor to get plenty of rest, and make an effort to pursue his personal interests, hobbies, sports or other activities.
“He emphasized 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, no matter where you are in the world, you are always here and the responsibility is always with you,” Drew told his successor.
Earlier Tuesday, Florsheim reflected on his new role immediately after being sworn into office at noon by Judge Joseph J. Marino, something required by city charter.
“It’s profoundly exciting and it’s a huge responsibility. You think about the weight of it, and you feel it sort of on your shoulders a little bit,” Florsheim said.
“Being here in the office, standing here, and hearing the words, and then saying ‘I do’ — it’s symbolic on some level, but it’s also deeply important to be able to reflect on those words as we head into the next four years,” he added.
Also Tuesday, he selected Loffredo, a veteran local lawmaker, as his deputy mayor, a nomination expected to be confirmed Thursday night during a special meeting of the panel at City Hall.
One of his first priorities is meeting with city directors and newly elected and reelected officials to start the groundwork for the budget preparation process. The mayor releases his proposed spending package in late March/early April.
It must be adopted by the Common Council in May.
Cost of living, a huge issue in Middletown, Florsheim said, became a refrain on the campaign trail.
“Before we start to attack some of the structural issues we want to attack over the next four years, we’ve got to make sure this is a budget people can live with,” he said.