Patch Candidate Profile: Fred Camillo For Greenwich First Selectman

GREENWICH, CT — Election Day on Nov. 4 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot.

Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing the town.

Candidate's Name:

Fred Camillo

What office are you seeking?
First Selectman

What town do you live in?
Old Greenwich

Campaign Website
https://www.fredforfirst.com

Party Affiliation:
Republican

Occupation:
First Selectman

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
Yes, I served as a state representative for 11 years representing the 151st District as assistant minority leader. I also served on the RTM in Greenwich for three-and-a-half terms and was appointed to several task forces both in Greenwich and at the state level.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking reelection because I continue to love public service, and I am honored to represent and work for the people of my hometown and enjoy the progress we have made these past six years. There is still more to do, and I have the energy and the enthusiasm that I had on day one.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
Unfortunately, the heavy-handed mandate attempts to control local zoning coming down from Hartford every year take up a lot of my time, so I will continue to advocate for local autonomy and to present all the progress that Greenwich makes affordable housing on our own and without interference from Hartford.

There are other issues that we continued to make progress on, like flood mitigation. That remains a serious issue, and flooding is something that will continue with each year as severe weather events become more frequent.

Lastly, with traffic, congestion and speeding an issue all over the country, we were the first municipality to receive the smart light technology and are scheduled to receive more in the coming year, so that is another thing we need to continue to address because all of our efforts to be more pedestrian friendly have to go hand-in-hand with traffic flow and calming efforts.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
Since my opponent has only lived in town a few years since his arrival from California, I really have not gotten to know him that well other than the fact that he has served on the RTM and has supported our pedestrian safety measures, which I appreciate. I enjoy the working relationship, though, without much of a record, it’s hard to know what all of the differences are between us.
Certainly, having grown up here and served my community for my whole adult life - through volunteerism and public service in elected office - I bring much more knowledge of our town’s history, how it works, and have established relationships, both here and around the state, that continue to benefit to benefit our residents.

Also, having guided the town for the past six years through good times and some of the most challenging in our nation’s recent history, that hands-on experience and strategic planning is not something that can be acquired in a few months of running for office. It is experience, acquired through being tested on the front lines, which I am proud to have been in a position to do successfully since December of 2019.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
I intend to address any issue that is brought up because as a candidate, you have only three things: your record, your vision, and your word.

I am very proud of this record, where Greenwich has really started to become even more of a destination than it was prior to December of 2019. We have done so by combining a respect for our cherished past with a bright, bold future that continues to attract people from all over the globe.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
If going back to the beginning of my tenure, we have successfully addressed the pledges made in 2019 by establishing things like an energy policy; a focus on environmentalism and sustainability; getting long-stalled projects done and over the finish line by entering into public/private partnerships; making Greenwich safer and more secure with strategic planning with our first responders; and we have made the downtown area more lively with outside dining and beautification projects.

We have built a strong bench of qualified candidates to serve on our boards, committees, and
commissions as well as special committees and task forces that I set up to do things like:
Protect air rights; repurpose underutilized and misused public buildings and spaces; successfully defend attempts from Hartford to erode local authority on zoning; work with our local housing authority to increase affordable housing units by 15 percent; provide more transparency with Zoom options for all of our meetings as well as enhanced communications with the public with a weekly E-blast and daily updates on social media; and work with the state to bring smart technology to increase better traffic flow in our town, the first such municipality to do so in Connecticut.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Give and forget, receive and remember.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I would like to thank the voters for continuing to show their confidence in and support for me in my public service journey. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve my hometown.

I will continue to be the person who doesn’t come at them at election time, but rather someone who comes from them -- the person they see around town, in diners, restaurants, the gym, walking the dogs in the park, and just supporting as many charities and worthwhile endeavors as I can.

It is the people that make our town the best in the nation and that is something that is with me every day. To be a part of that is special.