District E Council Debate: All Four Agree Norwalk Needs More Civility

Republicans at the District E debate Wednesday night were less inclined to spend money on new projects like an expanded pre-school program, and Democrats seemed more willing to spend in areas where the need seemed greater.

The four candidates for two District E seats on the Norwalk Common Council debated for almost an hour together at the Norwalk League of Women Voters forum at Roton Middle School before a group of about 100 people.

Incumbents Andrew Conroy (a Republican) and Nora King (a Democrat) were joined by two challengers: Republican Dave McCarthy and Democrat John Igneri.

Here is a sampling of some of the questions asked and answers given (not all answers are entirely in quotes):

What issues do you feel most passionate about?

Dave McCarthy: "Sustainable development [...] specifically transit-oriented development." The city would benefit by encouraging housing that attracts young couples without children who would be less of a burden on taxpayers. A couple with one or both individuals commuting by train from Norwalk might have only one car because they can live, work and play in the same area. That kind of community also would be promoted by making Norwalk more hospitable to pedestrians and bicycle riders, something good for other reasons, as well.

Nora King: Education, keeping taxes down, redevelopment and maintaining open space are the issues she feels most strongly about. Businesses make up only 17 percent of the Grand List in Norwalk, while housing and residential uses making up 67 percent. It would be better for the taxpayers if there was more redevelopment, increasing the tax base. "We need to get developers to build Class A office space here. It's the only way we can get money to fund education and the infrastructure we need."

John Igneri: Spending more money to improve the school system and other worthy goals is best done when the city's tax base increases, and the best way to do that is to focus on redevelopment. The city should make the process of approving new developments easier.

Andrew Conroy: His passions have changed over the years. When he first got on the council, he was concerned about getting more improvements to Rowayton Elementary School. Now that the replacement windows he wanted are in, his focus changed. "Doug Hempstead, myself and others sped up the process" for approving redevelopment projects, he said. The recession, not delays in approving projects by the current mayor or council, is the reason why there are still holes in the ground where buildings have been planned, he said.

Would you do anything to promote early childhood development to make more children ready to do well in school later?

King: "I think pre-school and early childhood development are the No. 1 gift that you can give to a child. [...] It's our responsibility to make sure we provide that to children. The world's a competitive place, and it's getting more and more competititve.

Igneri: "The city should be doing everything we can to help them. [...] If we don't pay for it now, we're going to be paying for it later. [...] I think dealing with children in pre-school education is vital to the city."

Conroy: "Mayor Moccia is also a strong proponent of early childhood education. I don't know how I feel about it. [...] I've seen and heard some expert notions that you can jumpstart kids over the summer." Conroy said he'd need to know more about the matter before making up his mind. "What I don't want to do is take our eye off the ball—the K-12 level, and particularly the later grades." Conroy said he'd prefer to know more about the issue from experts.

McCarthy: "There is a price tag that is attached to that, and I would need a lot more information on before I was willing to extend that."

Are you satisfied with the level of civility and the tenor of public discourse in Norwalk?

Igneri: "I'm not satisfied with the level of civility in Norwalk. We tned to attack too often and we don't tend to deal with the facts before we start attacking. [...] Blogs right now in the city are terrible. People are attacked. I've seen a lack of civility on the Comon Council, with people yelling at each other. That's not civility. You have to listen to other people and understand what they're talking about before you start attacking them."

Conroy: "I imagine that we can have more civility. ... With blogs, people use anonymity with people attacking others. Drop the anonymity. [...] I try to avoid [incivility] whenever I can. I imagine I'm not perfect, and I've slipped up sometimes." On the Public Works Committee he chairs, Conroy said he tries to keep members civil to each other.

McCarthy: On the zoning board he sits on, McCarthy says he tries to foster more patience with residents who come before the board. Incivility in the Common Council and on the campaign "is really dispiriting, and there's no real need for it."

King: "I also think there's a long way to go for civility in Norwalk. [...] Whatever party you want to identify yourself with, we all have the same core values—better education, fairer taxes, well-run schools. [...] Especially in this election, things have become rather uncivil. [...] When you ask tough questions, people don't want to hear them. I think tough questions are all right. [...] Everyone could do a better job with [maintaining] civility. Bullying—I've definitely witnessed it first-hand, expecially during this election."