Editor’s note: following is an opinion submitted by Westport resident Valerie Seiling Jacobs.

As many of you know—perhaps due to my leadership role in Save Westport Now, a nonpartisan grassroots organization—I do not base my decisions on party affiliation, but rather, on where a particular candidate stands on the issues. In fact, my refusal to blindly endorse a party’s entire slate of candidates has put me, over the years, at odds with both major parties. 

I note that assessing each candidate’s record is especially important this year, because emotions are running high, which means that, once again, it’s likely to be a close election. (Did you know that Ms. Tooker won the last election by only 69 votes?) In addition, there’s a third-party candidate who’s likely to split the vote, which increases the chances that someone—perhaps the person you like the LEAST—will slip into office with a mere plurality. 

In any event, I’ve vetted each of the candidates for First Selectmen and the choice is clear: 

Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich are the right leaders for Westport. 

Westport is facing defining choices—about growth, infrastructure, environmental protection and the kind of community we want to remain—and Kevin & Amy are best-suited to meet those challenges. They are leaders who have a vision for Westport but who also listen. And they have been on the “right” side of every recent decision and initiative, including:

• Protecting Open Space, Trees, and Natural Resources (e.g., they are opposed to building a huge new maintenance “shed” at Longshore and fought the administration’s plan to cut down the trees at Jesup Green), 
• Protecting Homeowners from Flooding (e.g., they want to tighten up our drainage regs), 
• Insisting on Fiscal Responsibility (e.g., they oppose spending $90M for a new fire/police station on the Connector), 
• Dealing with Residents Fairly (e.g., they have already committed to working WITH the gardeners to find a new location for the Gardens as soon as possible), 
• Shifting the Town Away from Fossil Fuels (e.g., they are in favor of revoking the Town’s [hypocritical] exemption from the leaf blower ordinance),
• Solving Our Traffic Woes (e.g., they are willing to go to Hartford to negotiate with DOT to find a better solution for the Cribari Bridge), and
• Saving Saugatuck from Overdevelopment—in fact, Amy voted “no” on the Hamlet in her role as a P&Z Commissioner.

What sets Kevin and Amy apart is their combination of competence and courage. They are not afraid to put residents first or take positions even when those positions might make them unpopular in certain quarters. 

Why the other candidates fall short

It’s true that there was little chance I was going to vote for Mr. O’Day. His arrogant mistreatment of the gardeners, his misleading statements about certain aspects of the Long Lots project, his refusal to hold open meetings, and his opposition to a myriad of environmental initiatives—made him, in my opinion, unfit to lead Westport. And his recent dishonesty (at the debates) about his voting record on the RTM and about what happened at that meeting with the gardeners, as well as his failure (at the debate hosted by Sustainable Westport) to distance himself from some of the more unsavory (and probably unconstitutional) actions of the Republican party confirmed my suspicions about his character. He may present as a reasonable person, but behind that polished exterior, I believe, is someone who will do and say anything to get elected—even if it means switching parties and peddling lies.

Moreover, Mr. O’Day’s running mate is part of the very administration that helped to promote the Hamlet and voted to release the money to the DOT so they could get started on designing a huge new Cribari Bridge, which will only increase our traffic woes. (And let’s not forget about the debacle behind Walgreen’s, which also resulted from this administration’s incompetence.) In short, I believe that the Republican ticket is not attuned to—and cannot provide—what Westporters want and need. 

And the same holds true for the third-party candidate. 

I interviewed Mr. Rosenwaks and liked him. He’s personable and willing to listen, but I noted two significant problems. First, having arrived in Town only five years ago, he lacked the historical context and institutional knowledge necessary to navigate complex negotiations with state agencies, utilities, and developers. How would he, for example, be able to effectively negotiate with Aquarion over removing PFAS from our water or dealing with the outstanding punch list items on North Ave. if he didn’t even know what Aquarion promised or what PURA said? Similarly, how would he be able to negotiate with the DOT, when he didn’t even understand the funding process? He could, of course, educate himself over time. But we need someone who can hit the ground running—before Aquarion is sold and before the DOT gets any further along with its plans for the bridge.

But my main problem with Mr. Rosenwaks is his voting record. 

During his stint on the RTM, he consistently voted the “wrong” way on important issues. If you don’t believe me, then check out his votes on:

• whether to allow a resident-led petition regarding Jesup Green to move forward at the RTM (Mr. Rosenwaks voted “no”);
• whether to spend almost $1 Million for 12-pieces of gas-powered equipment for Longshore without even investigating alternatives (Mr. Rosenwaks voted “yes”); and
• whether to take down 100-year-old trees simply to accommodate Parks and Rec’s desire to re-level a golf tee at Longshore—again, without even investigating alternatives (Mr. Rosenwaks voted “yes”). 

Mr. Rosenwaks may talk a good game, but his voting record tells a different story. Frankly, it’s difficult to reconcile his negative vote on the Jesup’s Green petition with his campaign promise to listen to residents. 

In addition, not once during his RTM tenure has Mr. Rosenwaks taken the podium to speak about an issue. Unlike others on the RTM who are willing to take positions even if they are in the minority, Mr. Rosenwaks simply sits quietly, almost as if he’s waiting to see which way the wind is blowing. And this unwillingness to take a stand, coupled with his poor voting record, makes him, in my view, ill-suited to serve as our First Selectman. We need and deserve better. 

In sum, Kevin Christie and Amy Wistreich are best prepared and best suited to lead Westport. I strongly urge you to vote for them—especially if you don’t want to wind up with Mr. O’Day at the helm.

Valerie Seiling Jacobs
Compo Parkway
Westport