Zoppo's acceptance speech

This is the speech that Democratic mayoral nominee Ellen Zoppo delivered after receiving the endorsement of her party's town committee Monday night:

Tonight can best be described as a kaleidoscope for everyone involved – a kaleidoscope of emotions, of promises and a glimpse of the future. The pieces of a kaleidoscope are comprised of light and reflection and shifting pieces of brightly colored patterns.

Tonight, for me, many pieces have shifted into place after many years of work and attention, dating back to the 1970s when I would attend board of finance meetings as a child, sparking a lifelong interest in government and policy, a master’s degree in Public Administration, and six years on the City Council.

Now, at almost 40 years of age, another chapter is beginning and so many other pieces of my life experience have also shifted into place, which has contributed to my decision to seek the Democratic nomination for mayor. I feel confident that I am well positioned to take on this new piece, which will be complimented by the many life experiences I have accumulated to date.

As a working mother, I do spend a lot of time thinking ahead to what Bristol will be like 25 years from now, when our children in turn will be settling down and raising their families. What will Bristol be like? What pieces of the overall picture will have shifted to form the kaleidoscope that will be 2032?

It is easy for people to stand up and talk about the ideals associated with government but government cannot be run by soundbites or flowery phrases or to talk about quality of life but at the end of the day, it is our responsibility as elected officials to do what is right, even if its not popular, and to make decisions based on what will be best for this community now, 10 years from now, and 25 years from that.

In order to accomplish these goals, an integral part of leadership is bringing people together and building partnerships and coalitions. From business and industry to grassroots efforts, I have been successful in creating community dialogue on issues of importance. We may not always agree on issues, but my committees have always been open and responsive to the public.

In many cases, on the local level, there are no true Republican or Democratic issues. It’s hard for anyone to be for or against good schools, fiscal responsibility, improved parks and strong neighborhoods. However, instead of just talking about quality of life issues, I have made it a centerpiece of my Council work to advocate for policies and ordinances that will have a positive impact on these issues.

Five years ago, with assistance from city staff, we built a foundation for code enforcement from scratch, which has, to date, resulted in over a dozen specific actions taking place, from new positions, to shared technology and new ordinances. This was done with the help of many people who did not see this as a Republican or Democratic issue – then Mayor Frank Nicastro gave his blessing for the city staff and I to meet monthly as a working group; Councilman Minor provided a variety of technical assistance based on what was working or not working in other towns and tracked legislation at the state level; former Councilmember Tom Lavigne embraced the need for communication amongst code enforcement officials and now serves as the code enforcement police officer; former mayor Gerard Couture presided over the adoption of a brand-new housing code that had not been updated in over 40 years; former Councilman Ron Burns worked with me on various health and housing code improvements; and Kevin McCauley now serves my co-chair on code enforcement where we have continued to build on the successes.

Bipartisanship support was critical in accomplishing what we needed to do over the last few years.

While this is just one example, the hard work and leveraging of resources that made it all possible is the exact type of model that can be applied to many issues, including downtown. While adhering to the process that the State of CT wants the city to follow, I think its vital that we as city leaders bring many other pieces of the kaleidoscope into focus as we decide what pattern and design is best for Bristol.

To that end, I think its critical to offer the city’s support to the many existing stakeholders and potential investors in downtown which include the Riverview Apartments and the Bristol Boys & Girls Club which is in need of a new facility. From providing critical housing to our seniors to investing in our young people and providing them a place to go, while city leaders may not have a financial responsibility to these entities, I believe we do have a moral responsibility to make sure these projects are successful because they are critical pieces of our community and the downtown blueprint.

And this is where it becomes important that we come together as a team to showcase the Democratic Party platform and how we will operate. I would also like to extend an open invitation to my future opponents, Democrats and Republicans alike, to engage in a series of candidate debates and forums over the next few weeks so that the voters can have an opportunity to discuss their concerns and ask questions of the candidates.

The pieces of the kaleidoscope have now shifted into place and reveal that there is now a new pattern for this election. The candidates you will nominate tonight have diverse experience in various areas, from city planning to construction and marketing, customer service and sales.

Tonight it is my honor to accept the nomination for Mayor. All of you will have a role to play in the shifting pattern that will result in a successful election.

*******
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com