Politics & Government
Kimmel: Better Council-Ed Board Relationship Needed
Bruce Kimmel, a Democratic candidate for Common Council in District D, says one of his top goals if elected would be building a better relationship between the Common Council and Board of Education.
To the editor:
Candidate Profile: Bruce Kimmel
Name: Kimmel, Bruce
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Town: Norwalk
Address: 9 Toilsome Ave., Norwalk, Ct. 06851
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Party Affiliation: Democratic
Office Sought: Common Council seat, District D
Job Title, Employer: Reading Teacher, New York City Department of Education
Date of Birth: April 21, 1948
Family: Married since 1984 to Kay Anderson. We have a son, Andy, who graduated from Norwalk High School in 2003.
Education:
Ph.D. from Columbia University, 1981, in Political Sociology. Dissertation, published in 1982, focused on political movements among farmers in the latter part of the 19th Century.
Masters Degree from City University, 1991, specializing in literacy development. Certified by New York State as a literacy specialist since 1991.
BA from Rutgers University (New Brunswick campus), 1971, majored in Sociology and Art History.
Elected Offices Held:
Member of the Norwalk Common Council, Nov. 1997 to Aug. 2005. Council President, 2003-04. Chair of the Finance Committee, 2001-2005.
Member of Norwalk Board of Education, Aug. 2005-Feb. 2009.
Three top issues, in priority order:
1. The number of gun-related incidents in the city must be reduced. We need to make sure the Police Department has the resources necessary to achieve this goal. The council needs to collaborate with the Board of Education to remove gangs from our schools and streets.
2. We need to develop a constructive, non-adversarial relationship between the Board of Education and other city agencies, particularly the Common Council and the Board of Estimate and Taxation. The Council’s Education Committee should begin working to build this relationship soon after the November election. We must provide our schools the funds necessary to ensure every child is properly educated.
3. Our major redevelopment projects have been stalled in both strong and weak economic times. We need to adopt new permitting/approval procedures that will move these projects along at a much faster pace than in the past. We need to look at how other cities handle these types of projects.
What sets you apart from other candidates?
Having been a member of the finance committees of the Common Council and the Board of Education, as well as the City’s Audit Committee, I am familiar with most aspects of the city’s operating and capital budgets. I strongly believe we can craft budgets that not only address the needs of the city, but also hold the line on taxes.
I have always been willing to debate tough issues, take independent positions, compromise when necessary, and put the interests of the city above short-term partisan concerns. Should I be elected, I promise to work hard, respect opposing views, and always vote for what I believe is in Norwalk’s best interest.
I will continue to respond to all constituent requests and concerns in a timely manner. I will do everything possible to end the partisan rancor that has afflicted Norwalk politics for too many years.
Bruce Kimmel
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