RaceforNew Milford mayor will be rematch of 2019, with incumbent Bass vs. challenger O'Brien
Aug. 9—"There's a lot of things we can accomplish in New Milford, from continuing to work with our Board of Education with improving our schools to working to make our everyday community better and helping those in need through social services, our senior center and our youth agency," Bass said. "It's just great to help and serve."
Education, economic development and government transparency are O'Brien's chief goals if elected mayor of New Milford.
"From day one, I would make it clear that I am mayor of 28,000-plus people, and I would make the argument for why this town is worth investing government funds," O'Brien said. "I want to convince people that our government can do good things for the people."
Bass was nominated by the New Milford Republican Caucus to seek his fourth term as mayor in the fall local election.
And O'Brien was nominated by the New Milford Democratic Caucus to run against Bass in the race for mayor.
"This is a tough town to run, especially for mayor, as a Democrat," O'Brien said. "It's a strongly Republican town and the fact that Republicans have held the office for the past 20 years shows that. ... I'm somewhat reluctant to take it on again because if you stand up as a Democrat and run for mayor you kind of put a target on your back."
Yet O'Brien said he "can't not run this year" because he said New Milford needs a vision for its future.
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"I just want to offer a different perspective on where I think this town should go, because it's a beautiful place, and I think we can do more than just repave the roads," he said.
O'Brien previously ran for mayor in the 2019 election, but lost to Bass, who won his second term in office that year. O'Brien's platform in 2019 focused on increasing funds for education and making the town more affordable.
Bass won his first term as mayor in 2017, replacing former Democrat Mayor David Gronbach, who served one term in office after beating longtime Republican Mayor Pat Murphy. Bass won his third term in 2021 against lifelong New Milford resident Ted Hine.
Among the highlights of his six years in office, Bass said he was proud of reconstructing the town's roads and completing the library's $8.5 million renovation project as well as the town's financial strength. He also highlighted the town's efforts in providing support for people experiencing homelessness or suffering with opioid addictions, and in setting up the Anonymous Alerts messaging system to address bullying in schools.
Along with continuing to keep taxes stable and build local infrastructure, Bass said he plans to continue bringing "investment into New Milford as long as it keeps in character with the town." He said he also plans to look at school buildings to make sure they are up to date since "they house our most special resource, which is our children and our staff."
"I'm very excited ... that the people will allow me to serve another term providing infrastructure improvements, strong financial support, working with our community to really make our town better," Bass said on his nomination to run for reelection.
O'Brien, who has lived in town for 24 years, said he fell in love with New Milford and has been involved in many efforts to help "do the best for this town," including the River Trail project. If elected, he said he wants to push tourism as an engine for economic development and invest in education to make sure "every single student knows that they're valued and is shown the wide range of opportunities" to help them discover their talents.
O'Brien said he also wants to address affordability to make New Milford a more affordable place to live, as well as affordable housing and transportation.
New Milford's slates of candidates
The New Milford Republican Caucus nominated the following candidates for the 2023 election:
Town Council: Chris Cosgrove, Tom Esposito, Katy Francis, Paul Murphy, Sal Rynkiewicz, Doug Skelly
Board of Finance: Larry Tripp, Joseph Troiano
Town Clerk: Noreen Prichard
Tax Collector: Nancy McGavic
Board of Education (4-year terms): Eric Hansell, Sarah Herring, Olga Rella
Board of Education (2-year term — vacancy): Dean Barile
Board of Assessment Appeals: Al Brant
Planning Commission: Victoria Carvalho, Paul Murphy
Zoning Commission: Greg Mullen, Mario Sclafani
Zoning Board of Appeals (4-year term): Sal Rynkiewicz, Garrett Strol
Zoning Board of Appeals (2-year term — vacancy): Kelly Franzese
The New Milford Democratic Caucus nominated the following candidates for the 2023 election:
Town Council: Hilary Ram, Alexandra Thomas, Mary Jane Lundgren, Brandon Debiase, Ari Rosenberg, David Lawson, Robert Gambino, Gale Alexander, Jackie Alexander
Board of Finance: Walter Bayer, Ellen Conklin
Board of Education: Brian McCauley, Tammy McInerney, Peter Mullen, Robyn Mann, Barbara Wolf
Board of Assessment Appeals: Exiene Lofgren
Planning Commission: Chris Ludwig
Zoning Commission: Joe Baker, Michael Anastas
Zoning Board of Appeals: Terry Ellis
No candidates were nominated by Democrats for town clerk or tax collector.
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"I can honestly say nobody has ever accused me of thinking inside the box," O'Brien said. "When people say, 'It's just the way it is, we can't change,' I always ask 'Why not?'"