Candidate says role of Greenwich first selectman runs deep in his blood
GREENWICH — If lifelong town resident Fred Camillo wins the race for first selectman in November, he would be the first person ever to become Greenwich’s top elected official after serving as a state representative and a member of the the Representative Town Meeting.
He has also been chairman of the Republican Town Committee and a member of the Board of Parks and Recreation. But Camillo, whose campaign slogan is “Respect for the Past, Vision for the Future,” says his desire to serve isn’t to make history.
“Public service has always been in my blood,” he said. “It’s something that I’ve always aspired to. … My cousins were in politics. Al Morano, the first ItalianAmerican congressman in Connecticut, was my cousin. Michael Morano, who the (Interstate 95) bridge is named after, represented Greenwich in the state Senate. And my grandfather, Robert, was on the RTM when it first started in 1933. He was one of the original members from Chickahominy, District 3.”
Camillo, 57, is hoping the road ahead leads him to Town Hall. He has held many jobs, from a teacher to a small business owner and founder of both a waste disposal and recycling company. But he is best known for his work in government, including his time on the RTM and in the state House.
Republicans in Greenwich have held the first selectman’s office as well as a majority on the Board of Selectmen since 2003. But Camillo is facing an energized Greenwich Democratic Party this, with BET Chair Jill Oberlander running against him for first selectman.
Since announcing his candidacy in March, Camillo has been doing what he is best known for, knocking on doors around town and looking to make a personal connection with voters.
“You have to bring your own styles and your own visions and your own agenda,” he said. “I’ve learned in my civic life here and in Hartford that when you have an idea you think is good, you have to get public support and bring it along.”
Looking at the issues
If elected, Camillo said his priorities would include forming a business advisory council and focusing on the creation of public/ private partnerships to pay for town projects. He has said that any project brought to him would have to include at least an option of funding through a public/private partnership.
That could include naming rights, which residents have resisted in the past, he said. With major upcoming projects with Cardinal Stadium improvements, a new municipal ice rink and a new Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, partnerships of this kind could quickly become a reality, he said.
Camillo also advocates forming a properties committee to look at townowned properties that are underused or misused to get more use from them. On the environment, he said he would form a community enhancement and sustainability committee to report every 30 days to the Board of Selectmen on energy policy, improving and maintaining town aesthetics, removing graffiti and working with the state on cleanup of state properties.
Also, the Republican candidate has stressed in many presentations to voters, notably at a forum on environmental issues and one before the First Selectman’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities, that he wants “committees in action, not in name” that will make improvements and address the needs of residents.
Democrats have made it a part of their campaign to demand that Camillo and other Republicans do more to push back against language and behavior of President Donald Trump.
In the past, Camillo has rebuked Trump and criticized tax changes that hurt Greenwich residents, but his words haven’t gone far enough for many critics. But Camillo said local voters don’t want to focus on national issues.
“I’m not going to respond to every (Trump) tweet or every time he says something,” Camillo said. “I was brought up to account for yourself. I lead by example. If I start talking like that, then hold me accountable.
“People know I don’t agree with that rhetoric and I’ve said it,” he said. “If someone asks me a question about it, I’ll answer, but it’s not where my focus should be. You can only offer three things: your word, your record and your vision. That’s it.”
Camillo was first elected to represent the 151st District in the state House in 2008 and has been reelected four times since. But he said he’s looked at the possibility over the years of running for first selectman but said he would never have challenged Peter Tesei, a fellow Republican.
But Tesei announced he would not seek a seventh term, opening up the seat.
“I love my job in Hartford but I’m coming home because I love my town more,” Camillo said.
Growing up in Greenwich
Camillo and his brother were raised by his father, a drill instructor, after Camillo lost both his mother and his sister during his childhood. His father inspired Camillo’s love of sports and animals and helped shape his life while teaching him the importance of family and knowing that “nothing is forever,” he said.
“Having that sense of loss when you’re young stays with you,” Camillo said. “I’ve realized since I was young that things aren’t meant to be forever. And I try my best, I don’t always succeed, to enjoy the
Party: Republican
Office sought: First Selectman
Age: 57
Incumbent: No
Current job: State Legislator, 151st District, State of Connecticut
Education: Manhattanville College
The most important issue in this election: Revitalizing Greenwich’s town-owned properties, especially along the waterfront, and downtown as well as our athletic facilities while focusing on the use of public/private partnerships to accomplish that and other initiatives. Other issues: Reformation, revitalization and repurposing must be the end goals of our efforts. Having enhanced commerce and elevated environment policies. Having an energy/sustainability focus in addition to a refocused business recruitment and retention policy will reinvigorate what is already the best run town in the State of Connecticut. Also, a Town Hall 2.0 will make interaction and communication easier for residents. Family: Fourth generation Greenwich resident on one side, and third on the other. Previous elected offices, community group affiliations: Representative Town Meeting, State Representative in Connecticut General Assembly. Chairman of the Greenwich Board of Parks and Recreation, Chairman of the Greenwich Republican Town Committee, as well as many boards and committees on state and local level, including Greenwich Old Timers Athletic Association, Greenwich Chapter of the Boy Scouts of America, Adopt-A-Dog of Greenwich, Byram Neighborhood Association, Cos Cob Neighborhood Association, Havemeyer Park Homeowners Association, Greenwich Baseball Foundation, and the Greenwich Junior Babe Ruth League, and an associate member of the Cos Cob Fire Police Patrol. Campaign website: www.fredforfirst.com company of others and try to be in the moment. When things happen to you when you’re young, it shapes how you view things.”
As those early losses brought hard lessons, Camillo said he is aware that a politician’s decisions can have ramifications for years, particularly in a position like first selectman. That will be on his mind, whether he is elected first selectman or continues to serve as state representative, he said.
Camillo is quick to share a quote from a legendary athlete Jackie Robinson, saying, “Life is unimportant, except for the impact it has on other lives.”
“At the end of the day, you want to leave a great legacy,” Camillo said. “You want to leave something that will outlive people. That’s what I want to do.
“I don’t want to only be a good steward of the town’s affairs. I want to be a transformational leader. I want to hit the ground running. I said this back in March, when I first announced this campaign, I will treat my first term if elected as my last term. And at the end of that term, if the voters think I’ve done a good job, then and only then would I consider running for another term.”