
NORWALK, Conn. — Norwalk Democratic mayoral candidate Andy Garfunkel has answered his Democratic Party questionnaire.
Garfunkel had taken a stand, refusing to sign what was characterized by some as an “oath” or “pledge” to the party and refusing to answer the questions sent to all candidates by the Democratic Town Committee (DTC). He also did not respond to a slightly adjusted set of questions posed by NancyOnNorwalk.
Monday, however – prior to the candidate forum at the DTC meeting — Garfunkel submitted his answers and emailed them to the media. He declined to sign the “oath.”
In a most radical departure from the other three Democratic candidates, Garfunkel repeated and expanded upon his call for a charter revision commission. Garfunkel, the former five-term Town Clerk who lost his challenge to Mayor Richard Moccia two years ago by about 850 votes, said he wants to eliminate or consolidate boards and commissions with overlapping jurisdiction, merge the town clerk and city clerk offices and eliminate “do-nothing” positions such as selectmen and city treasurer.
He also said he would like to make the offices of mayor, town clerk and common council four-year terms, with staggered terms for the council.
Garfunkel took a swipe at former police chief and fellow candidate Harry Rilling when he said Moccia and “his chiefs” have denied a gang problem exists for years.
Also, his answer to the question, “What role if any would the Democratic Party have in your administration?” was in line with his refusal to sign the “oath.” The answer, in part, was: “The local Democratic Party would have no official role in my administration. That would be improper. However, I value the guidance of my fellow Democrats since we share many core beliefs, and given my past leadership role in the Party as District A Chairman, I expect that I would informally consult with the membership of the local Democratic Party on a regular basis. I would also reach across the aisle and seek to engage local Republican leadership in a frank dialog on policy and issues facing our City…”
See the entire questionnaire attached below.
Leave a Reply
You must Register or Login to post a comment.