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As printed in the Connecticut Post

I am running for mayor because I believe that Milford can do better. With the right mayor, we can achieve great things. Twenty years ago, we had a great Mayor in Alberta Jagoe. I have drawn great inspiration from her, and I will look to her as my role model. Like Alberta, I will focus on economic development, education and customer service. These are key issues, but most important of all, I pledge -- first and foremost -- that I will always be honest with the people of Milford. I will never take credit for an accomplishment that is not mine. I will never pass the buck or make excuses. A true leader makes the difficult decisions and she stands behind them. This is what you can expect from me.

I have a passion for economic development. As chairwoman of our Economic Development Commission, I have begun work on a comprehensive Plan of Economic Development. This is something that even the smallest cities have -- and yet Milford does not. As mayor, I will implement this plan. We need to bring jobs to Milford, and we need to do it in a way that preserves open space and our integrity. Money is available to help encourage new, green businesses in our city; we simply need a proactive mayor who will reach out and get it. As mayor, I won't give up on bringing new jobs to Milford.

Our school system should be the pride of our city. We have excellent students and teachers, but we need excellent schools. Milford's infrastructure is crumbling after 20 years of neglect. This is unacceptable, but more importantly, it is unsustainable. Improved infrastructure is an investment in our own future, and can raise standardized test scores by as much as 17 percent. I was proud to speak at the Board of Aldermen meeting in support of the addition at Jonathan Law. I am proud that the aldermen moved forward in spite of the mayor's opposition -- but our responsibility does not end there. I have been told that senior citizens don't care about schools, but this is simply not true! All of our citizens understand, as I do, that good schools are an important factor in economic development and the overall health of our city.

Finally, I want to rededicate our government to customer service. This process begins with the mayor: in my first week, I will designate a customer service representative to make sure your questions are answered. You will get a call back. Customer service is also about making sure we get our money's worth. I am unafraid to engage with our departments and tell them that we will expect more. The zero-based budgeting process I will implement will mean more work for both the department heads and myself, but that is why we pay our city officials. I will fight for the taxpayers every day I serve, and I will craft a budget that I can stand behind.

Milford is ready for a mayor who is unafraid to be bold. We expect a mayor who does more than cut ribbons: we need someone who can handle the tough decisions and the pressure that comes with true leadership. I do not seek financial or political gain. I am not running to prove a point or to rehash past battles. I simply believe that I can make a difference and that I can offer the people of our wonderful city the leadership that they deserve.

I hope you share my vision for a more proactive and reliable city government, and I respectfully ask for your vote on Nov. 3.

Despite the poor weather, today is a great day for our school system. The expansion at Jonathan Law is underway. Although Mayor Richetelli will surely pose with a shovel to kick off this much-needed construction, it is important to remember that this measure proceeded over his objections.

This is an important step forward, but Mayor Richetelli deserves none of the credit.

Thanks to our Aldermen and Board of Education members who made this project happen!

Although the result was obviously not the one we had hoped and worked for, I am proud of the campaign we ran. I have met some amazing people along the way, and it has truly been a wonderful experience. I was the first Democratic candidate in 20 years to receive the New Haven Register endorsement, and we knocked on thousands of doors.

There remains a lot of work to be done for Milford, and I intend to do my part. Losing an election doesn't change the fact that we have over 1.3 million square feet of vacant industrial space. It doesn't mean that the problems I sought to address have disappeared. I will still be working to serve our city, and I hope you will join me.

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October 19, 2009 – Continuing her effort to highlight important issues affecting Milford citizens, Genevieve Salvatore spoke in front of the Devon Clock today on the importance of encouraging responsible economic development.

She had a special guest with her as well.

Former Speaker of the House – and current gubernatorial candidate – James Amann was on hand to offer his endorsement.

“In my 27 years in politics, Genevieve is one of the most energetic, hardworking, and intelligent candidates I've worked with,” Amann said. “She has the ideas to bring our city forward into a new era as the next Mayor of Milford.”

“Jim has been an effective and tireless advocate for Devon and all of Milford,” Salvatore said. “I am honored to have received his endorsement and I look forward to working with him as the next Mayor of Milford.

Salvatore emphasized the importance of economic integration to the city’s prosperity. “Downtown is an important location for local businesses, but we need to focus on our Devon and Walnut Beach neighborhoods as well.”

Salvatore believes, however, that much more remains to be done for Milford.

“We are adrift without a plan for economic development,” Salvatore said. “And that is wrong for a city of our size. Even communities as small as Oxford have a plan of economic development.”

“We also can’t give up on job creation. We have 1.3 million square feet of industrial and manufacturing space lying empty. This is not a time to sit idly by. If I am elected, my administration will take immediate steps to finalize the plan of plan economic development that I have begun to draft as Chairwoman of the EDC. We will work tirelessly to establish Milford as an incubator for green businesses.”

Genevieve highlighted the state’s Clean Tech Fund as an example of encouraging green growth. “The money is available, we need to go and get it.”
She concluded: “As we begin a new decade, we need forward-thinking leadership and a Mayor who is prepared to tackle the challenges we face.”

At the press conference, Amann agreed. He recalled his service as an Alderman under Mayor Alberta Jagoe. Calling her a “true leader,” he said Milford was in need of “another woman that takes charge of our city.”

Continuing to focus on policy prescriptions for Milford, Genevieve announced today her intention to pursue a zero-based budgeting process in City Hall. This is the second major policy announcement in as many weeks. Together, the Milford Reuse Exchange and the Zero-Based Budget represent significant initiatives she plans to undertake in her first 100 days in office.

Full press release below:

GENEVIEVE SALVATORE UNVEILS PLAN FOR CITY BUDGET
Announces Intention to Pursue Zero-Based Budgeting Strategy

October 13, 2009

MILFORD - Democratic mayoral candidate Genevieve Salvatore announced her plans for a new city budgeting process today. She will be available to the media to take questions tomorrow – Wednesday, October 14, 2009 – at 1 PM in front of the Parsons Government Center.

Salvatore, currently the Chairwoman of the Milford Economic Development Commission, announced her intention to implement a zero-based budgeting process if elected.

STATEMENT FROM GENEVIEVE SALVATORE:

“This past budget season, city departments (excepting the Board of Education) submitted budgets requesting a 21% increase. This is actually pretty consistent with what they have submitted in recent years, and it reflects a lack of management direction. I propose implementing a zero-based approach.

Zero-based budgeting is a process that moves away from the traditional, incremental approach to funding requests. Instead of assuming that a department’s previous funding level was justified and debating how much of an increase to approve, a zero-based budget begins the process for each department at $0, with money allocated as it is justified.

This process provides an efficient way of allocating resources, and encourages creative problem-solving.

Zero-based budgeting can save us money as it forces the examination and evaluation of programs that might have otherwise been automatically funded. When department heads are tasked with justifying every dollar they request, inefficiencies become more obvious.

My plan will:
• Challenge departments to re-think the way they provide services to the city.
• Trust managers to know best ways to provide these services.
• Expect budgets to reflect the 'best practices' in the public sector, which invariably will mean lower cost.

The Board of Aldermen has been the lone force for fiscal sanity in Milford. The Democratic Aldermen did a great job of going through the budget line by line to make cuts where practical. As Mayor, I will make this process easier for them by making city departments conform to a zero-based budget. I will submit a budget that I can stand behind.”

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Management Consultant Michael V. Brown, an adviser to the Salvatore campaign, noted that Mayor Richetelli’s most recent budget was an example of fiscal mismanagement.

“This mayor proposed $6 million in new spending - and the higher taxes that would result - during the worst economic environment since the Great Depression.” Brown said. “Genevieve’s plan for the city budget is a common-sense measure that should have been implemented years ago. As a management consultant, I advise all companies I work with to implement a zero-based budget.”

Mayor Richetelli’s budget – with a 6.75% increase – was introduced in February of 2009. At the time, he was quoted saying “Can there be cuts? Yes, and there certainly will be.”

“The mayor and the department heads are paid to, among other things, craft a budget,” Salvatore said. “I will take my job seriously, and I will not outsource all of the hard work to the volunteers on the Board of Aldermen.”

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For more information on Zero base budgeting, visit http://www.scribd.com/doc/17276134/Zero-Base-Budgeting

Following the debate held by the Environmental Concerns Coalition (ECC), Genevieve announced today an initiative to help "green" our city. Within the first few weeks of taking office, Genevieve will work to implement her "Triple R Campaign," based on the famous mantra; "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle."

She was joined for the announcement by State Representatives Barbara Lambert and Richard Roy. Roy, who is Chairman of the Environmental Committee in the State Legislature, is also a candidate for Milford City Clerk.

Full press release and photos below:

October 7, 2009 – Democratic mayoral candidate Genevieve Salvatore announced a new environmental initiative today. In an announcement held at Silver Sands State Park, she spoke of the need for Milford to improve its environmental record. Milford’s recycling rate is currently 6% - one of the lowest in the state of Connecticut.

“Milford’s low recycling rate represents a failure of leadership by the current administration. I will not allow this trend to continue,” Salvatore said. “In my administration, preserving our environment will never be an afterthought. Milford citizens care about our environment, and they deserve an administration that speaks to their concerns.”

Salvatore’s initiative – dubbed the “Triple R Campaign” – is based on the three familiar themes: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Reduce: Currently, the average Connecticut resident produces over four pounds of garbage every day. As a community, Milford’s government should encourage everyone to reduce the amount of waste produced. Salvatore’s plan calls for an expanded recycling program. Many communities in Connecticut recycle boxboard (cardboard like cereal boxes, etc.), there is no reason Milford can’t as well. The more citizens recycle, the less we throw away. Salvatore also promised to raise awareness of the need to reduce waste. An educational campaign could encourage waste reduction across the city.

Reuse: Salvatore’s initiative would create a Milford Reuse Exchange, which would allow citizens to leave large, reusable items at a central location. Residents could list their items online so that other Milford citizens would be able to pick them up from the Exchange at no cost. This would reduce bulk trash piles as well as the need for “garbage-picking.”

Recycle: As mentioned above, this initiative would seek to broaden Milford’s ability to recycle. Milford citizens should be able to recycle a broader array of plastics as well as boxboard. Implementing single-stream recycling would simultaneously make recycling easier. An easier process encourages more participation, helping improve the recycling rate. Additionally, increased recycling saves our town money by reducing tipping fees.

Salvatore gave a sneak peak of her plans last night to a packed room at the Environmental Concerns Coalition-sponsored Mayoral Debate, where she emphasized that green governance can also help save money.

Salvatore also pledged that her administration would lead by example. Municipal buildings need to recycle and reduce waste just as much as residents need to. “We need a mayor who will lead by example,” she said. “I intend to be that type of mayor.”

Today, the Economic Development Commission launched Milford's "Local Proud" campaign on the steps of City Hall. According to their research, "Each dollar that consumers spend in locally owned, independent businesses returns 25 cents more to our community than if that money had been spent elsewhere." The campaign will encourage Milford residents to visit our local businesses.

The Economic Development Commission, with Genevieve as chair, began work on this project in January. More information can be found at their website: http://www.milfordlocalproud.com/

Alderman Suzanne Manning was in attendance as well, and posted a video of the event here: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=142969027193

September 25, 2009 - All four candidates appeared at West Shore Middle School today to meet with the 8th graders. Each candidate was given five minutes to introduce themselves to the audience. Unfortunately, some of the opening statements went a bit too long and there wasn't time remaining to take questions from the students.

Genevieve spoke about the need for everyone to get involved in the political process. She spoke about American history, pointing out that 100 years ago women could not vote. If it weren't for the people who stand up and get involved, she said, she would not be able to run for mayor today.

She encouraged all of the students to pay attention to the news, learn about the issues, and get active in their community.

Genevieve, who spoke first, was eager to hear the students' questions and was disappointed that time did not permit.

If any Milford students would like to ask her a question, please send her an email at gen@salvatore09.com, and she will be happy to get back to you.

Thanks to Mr. Acri for organizing this wonderful event.

The debate last night - hosted by the Plymouth Men's Club - was a resounding success. Genevieve demonstrated her grasp of the issues that Milford citizens care about. She was also the only candidate who could - and did - cite specific people and their specific concerns. Having met so many Milford citizens already, she knows what is on our minds and that knowledge was evident.

Thanks to everybody who has taken the time to speak with Genevieve at your homes. The people who participate in our democratic process really are the heart and soul of our city, and that came through last night. She has clearly been inspired by you.

What we saw last night was a candidate with a vision for our future. We need a leader who doesn't just try to get by, but who tries to get better. Genevieve will give us the city government we deserve and require. Don't let her opponent fool you - she can be the leader we need.

As she said in her closing remarks - "Stand with me now and on November 3rd, and I will stand up for you every day that I serve as your mayor."

Opening statement posted in the extended entry...