{news} The Day endorses Andy Derr

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http://www.theday.com/eng/web/news/re.aspx?re=bd10f413-db9d-4642-8857-f56ab08d3dc1

Featured in Columns & Editorial

Shake Up New London Mix
Voters must shake up the mix to create a more responsible council.

Published on 10/30/2005

An important message to all New London voters: go to the polls Nov. 8. The 
New London City Council needs a vigorous shakeup to end the foolishness of 
the past two years.

It's hard to imagine a group of people so lacking in judgment that they 
would throw down the gauntlet to a governor known for her reasonable 
qualities even as she inherited a mess in the Fort Trumbull project and was 
trying to help. But then again, the same people paid a competent lawyer for 
advice and then acted contrary to what he told them. The council needs a 
reformation, for it has been unable to act consistently and logically.

The worst event on Election Day would be for New London voters to give the 
Democrats a big majority once again and thus impose on the city the 
presumption of the power it has applied for decades. Voters should elect a 
more diverse, practical and consistent group of representatives.

Four parties seek council seats. Here are The Day's recommendations for the 
council: Charles W. Frink of One New London Party; Andrew M. Derrof the 
Green Party; Robert M. Pero and L. Allyn de Vars of the Republican Party, 
and Democrats Kevin J. Cavanagh, Jane Glover and Elizabeth A. Sabilia. Mr. 
Pero, Ms. Glover and Ms. Sabilia are incumbents.

Charles W. Frink is a retired New London High School teacher with a Ph.D who 
is a composer and playwright, and has taught at Connecticut College and 
Three Rivers Community College. Most of all, he is a person who tests the 
validity of ideas rather than rushing to judgment.

Mr. Frink favors revising the City Charter to elect a strong mayor to run 
the city, a position favored by The Day and used as a litmus test for 
candidates considered for endorsement. He also believes the plan for Fort 
Trumbull is “an antique, a relic of the past,” that the council needs to 
take over leadership of the program from the New London Development Corp. 
and that the city's financial situation, with a very low fund balance 
account, is extremely precarious.

Mr. Frink would question assumptions, would expect logical answers and would 
be a good voice on the council.

Andrew Derr has been active in neighborhood and preservation groups. He 
favors a strong-mayor form of government, and believes the post is necessary 
because the city lacks leadership. But he cautions that the mayor would need 
a good support staff. He would like to see district representation on the 
council because he believes the northern section of New London has been 
disenfranchised as most candidates nominated by the parties and elected come 
from the south end.

Mr. Derr is critical of the city for taking so many people's homes. 
Redevelopment's property takings have plagued the city for decades, he 
contends. He favors disbanding the NLDC which he says is incompetent and has 
never been accountable to the council.

He is a strong advocate for better city schools and he is concerned that too 
many property owners have gotten tax breaks through lower assessments caused 
by letting their buildings get run-down.

Mr. Derr has strong views. In council meetings, he might have to temper his 
approach, but he is an intelligent candidate who respects the people of his 
city and who would contribute substantial ideas to the process of 
government.

Robert M. Perohas matured into an effective councilor who generally has his 
ear to the ground for the feelings of his constituents. He favors a 
strong-mayor form of government and would be willing to form a second 
Charter Revision Commission if, as it appears, the current commission fails 
to recommend a strong mayor.

He says New London needs “a vision change,” a view held by many residents. 
He favors selling off surplus properties for revenue and wants to explore 
how to improve the quality of life in the city. He says he believes the 
council is now making progress dealing with its problems with the NLDC. He 
believes the city may have to get a new developer in Fort Trumbull and 
thinks there's not a market for a hotel there.

L. Allyn de Vars is a self-employed real es-tate title abstractor who 
believes the city is at a crossroads of opportunity and needs change. It 
must have a council composed of people who have a unified vision of where 
the city can be, he adds. “We need clarity,” he says. “A strong mayor would 
provide a clearer path.” Without a strong mayor, there is no place to fix 
responsibility and accountability, he says.

He wants to increase private development in New London and says the plans 
for Fort Trumbull are outdated. He emphasizes economic development, public 
safety and education as the three most important issues facing the city. He 
says both the police and fire departments do not have adequate staffing on 
shifts and lack the needed equipment.

Mr. de Vars is a good thinker who can articulate his ideas and who would 
make a fine addition to the council.

Kevin J. Cavanagh is leaving the Board of Education, where he performed 
energetically and admirably, to seek a seat on the council. He was an 
administrator in the insurance industry in Hartford and brings organization, 
logic and good sense to the table. He also has been active in the Save Ocean 
Beach organization.

He favors adopting a strong-mayor government. He believes public safety is 
the city's highest priority and says both police and fire operations are at 
minimum levels. He says the council should support the good work and vision 
of Superintendent Christopher Clouet in improving city schools.

He says developers will come to New London when they see that the city has a 
vision and knows what it's doing. “We need to develop long-range planning,” 
he says. Mr. Cavanagh would contribute good ideas and professional planning 
and management skills to the council.

Jane Glover is mayor of New London and a councilor unafraid to speak 
forthrightly on issues. She favors a strong-mayor form of government and is 
disappointed that the current charter commission has not delivered such a 
recommendation.

She is impatient with the pace of progress in New London and believes the 
Fort Trumbull plan needs to be reworked. She favors neither a hotel nor an 
office building there and hopes that Gov. M. Jodi Rell will agree to rethink 
the plan. She would like to see limited tax breaks for property owners 
providing moderate rents to new businesses.

She believes the education system needs a curriculum overhaul to reflect the 
large numbers of blacks and Latinos in the school system.

Beth A. Sabilia is closely associated with the Democratic leadership of New 
London, but she is one of the more candid councilors in expressing her views 
and is usually unafraid to take a controversial stand. She did good work 
trying to help mediate disputes with the NLDC.

She says she currently favors retaining the city manager form of government, 
but also acknowledges that there is a leadership vacuum in the city. “People 
feel there's no strong voice, no go-to person,” she says.

Despite her inclination to preserve what The Day believes is an 
anachronistic and ineffective form of government, the newspaper recognizes 
that Ms. Sabilia generally is in tune with people's thinking in the city, 
contributes a fine mind to public debate and takes strong stands.

The other candidates are: One New London: Michael Christofaro, Thomas J. 
Picinich, William Cornish and Richard L. Humphreville; Green Party: Robert 
W. Stuller; Republican Party: incumbent councilor Jason Catala, Mike Doyle 
and Kathryn L. Schargus; Democratic Party incumbents Bill Morse, Margaret M. 
Curtin and Gerard Gaynor Jr. and newcomer Elizabeth Garcia Gonzalez.

© The Day Publishing Co., 2005



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