David McCarthy and Emily Wilson today announced their plans to run for the Norwalk Common Council from District E, which includes the Rowayton, Brookside, and West Norwalk areas. Councilman McCarthy is running for re-election, having swept into office in 2011. He is chairman of the Public Works Committee. Ms. Wilson is currently chairperson of the Norwalk Zoning Commission. This is her first run for the Common Council.
“Stand for Norwalk” is the theme of their joint campaign, said McCarthy. “Both Emily and I have long personal records of standing up for the citizens of this community rather than for special interests, and I think everyone in the community respects that.” McCarthy is a former Zoning Commissioner, representative to the Southwest Regional Planning Agency, and is currently the Vice President of the Norwalk Senior Center Board.
Ms. Wilson has presided over a many zoning issues, including several important and contentious ones. “Norwalkers have placed their trust in us to represent them, so it’s important to me to give priority to the voice of the citizens. It’s important for me to recognize not just the few who shout the loudest, but everyone.” Wilson has been lauded for her calm demeanor and ability to handle the most volatile of situations.
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Among the issues McCarthy has championed in his first 20 months on the council have been garbage collection outsourcing, which is saving the city close to $20 million, the move to single-stream recycling, revision of the excavation and fill regulations, and a review and reallocation of capital budget dollars. The latter resulted in over $2 million being reallocated to address inland flooding issues and moving capital dollars to areas where they can be used more effectively. He also was one of the architects of the 2013 Budget Cap agreement which resulted in the first fully funded BOE budget in modern memory.
“I’ve accomplished quite a bit in a short time, and I will be able to do much more with another council person from District E who is willing to work. That is what impresses me about Emily, she is selfless, intelligent, always willing to help others and dedicated to moving the city forward,” McCarthy added.
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Apart from her work on the Zoning Commission, Wilson is president of the board of directors of the Norwalk Senior Center and is a former member of the Norwalk Conservation Commission. She has also been head moderator for all Norwalk elections for the last four years. Originally from Portland, Maine, Wilson is an attorney in local practice with degrees from St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and Saint John’s University School of Law.
Councilman McCarthy works for the IBM Corporation in the Capital Markets group and has extensive experience in government contracting. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, an eight-year veteran of the United State Navy and also holds an MBA from Georgetown University. He is a member of the American Legion as well as the Knights of Columbus, Council 14360, and is a proud Mentor to a young man entering the 3rd grade at Brookside School.
