Wallingford Election 2025: Alida Cella Running For Mayor

WALLINGFORD, CT — The 2025 municipal election is heating up in Wallingford with plenty of races on the ballot.

Voters will cast their ballots in the Nov. 4 election for the position of mayor, along with seats on the Town Council and Board of Education.

Wallingford Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Alida Cella is running for election as mayor of Wallingford as a Democrat.

Campaign Website
https://voteblue06492.com/

Occupation:

Manager of Project Funding; 6 years

Family:
Yes, I am married to David Cella and we have three children, ages 13, 15, and 21.
I have lived in Wallingford since 1999, and we raised our family here. That experience through the school system has shaped much of my platform; it's imperative we do better for our students. David's family is from Wallingford; on his mother's side, her family has been in the Wallingford/Durham area at least 5 generations. My father-in-law attended Choate, and was a well known lawyer out of North Haven.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No.

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
I have not, but I have been Chair of the Wallingford Democratic Town Committee since 2020.

Why are you seeking this office?
I am running for office because after 40 years of neglect, we need leadership with vision that can boldly examine where we are at, and plan for the future. Our schools are declining and our taxes are sky rocketing. We need to honestly assess the situation and put a plan in place to reverse course and prevent us from ever being in this situation again.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
Our declining schools, and I plan to fully fund them so they can get back on track, for the future of our children and our town. People want to invest in towns that invest in themselves, and until we do, we will continue on this downward spiral. We need to make a change, and now.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
It appears Mr. Cervoni is satisfied with photo ops and fixing a bit here and there; paying attention to problems that can't be ignored any more. We need more - this patchwork repair process is not a comprehensive plan.

First, we need to dig deep and get a full assessment of the issues; only then can we plan. I am not sure why this has not been done yet. We should be concerned for the health and safety of people occupying these decaying spaces. It's not okay to keep ignoring problems and pretending they are not there.

Getting Community Pool is wonderful; I've been fighting for it for 5 years. We should have done it during the pandemic, and if we had, it would have been millions less expensive.

However, we still have students at Cook Hill learning in trailers (called "portables"); which have been posing as classrooms for 20 years. I hear that these are in deplorable condition - why are we not addressing things like this first?

I understand the to-do list may be overwhelming; but that's why we will need a comprehensive plan to address it all.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
While the focus right now is on the new high school, we can't forget about the needs of the rest of our aging schools. We need a plan to upgrade each one. If we can create shovel ready projects, we can be ready when grants are available, or when we can free up the funds to make it happen.

Then, we are going to need responsible budgeting and a full plan to figure out how to get our town to better serve its residents.

Let's address some basics:

1) We need to ramp up the modernization and digitization of our town hall. We still have employees who don't have direct deposit. Land records should be digital. Where faxing is still required, it needs to be replaced with e-mail.

2) I want to modernize our Wallingford Electric Division and explore how to continue to protect our low electric rates with renewable energy and battery systems. I'd like to see us add services, like a Wallingford Internet Division, and trash service. Let's repurpose our abandoned train station or police station into a children's museum, like Kid City in Middletown.

3) We need to support mini neighborhoods in other areas of town to support more housing and businesses, and create that community feel of "Walking Wallingford" we so love in our downtown. I'd like to see bus stops with shelters rather than open air areas with no protection from weather.

There is so much work to do! We can come together as a community and get it done.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
Every organization I have been a part of, I have left it stronger than when I found it. I can organize and collaborate with people to get things done, what ever the "thing" is. I am passionate and hardworking, and the job of Mayor will be my full time job.

When I joined our local synagogue in 2004, it was struggling. Our membership was aging and we were not attracting new families. By the time I stepped down as President, we had turned that around, and I left a legacy of community that still endures.

Likewise, in my position as Manager of Project Funding, I am the force that gives our lenders and investors confidence to lend us millions of dollars for the solar projects our company builds. It is entirely about risk management: oversight and delivery of the documentation to verify the projects being built will deliver as promised. We need that same kind of oversight on our Town projects, which is not happening right now. When questioned about who was inspecting recent tennis court and basketball court installations, the Mayor named people who were not actually responsible for that. What's going to happen when we are building a new school?

We need oversight and leadership, and that's exactly what I can offer.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
The best advice I received was to come at difficult conversations with a sense of curiosity. Ask questions and listen deeply. Do your best to create a space for all parties to feel comfortable expressing themselves. Understanding the person behind the words is crucial for getting to resolutions that everyone can respect.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
My spouse and I have owned and operated two local businesses since we met in 1999. I understand the challenges that businesses face in town. Access and transparency will be top goals. In Cervoni' s Wallingford Worldwide campaign, I don't see him asking businesses what they need to be better supported. What are the elements that would help them expand and grow in this location? We need leadership brave enough to seek out that feedback, listen, and deliver.

See also: Wallingford Election 2025: Vinny Cervoni Running For Mayor