Danbury Candidate Profile: Andrea Gartner For Town Clerk

DANBURY, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Danbury and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Danbury Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Andrea Gartner, 54, is running for Town Clerk as a Democrat. She is currently a member of the Zoning Commission and chair of the Danbury Democratic Town Committee.

Gartner received a Bachelor of Science degree in government from Georgetown University, and a Master of Arts in history from Western Connecticut State University. A small business owner in Danbury, she was also the executive director of CityCenter Danbury for eight years.

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

A plan for continued growth that also addresses our current woes.

Not many cities are growing but Danbury is. We need a new City leadership to address the growth with a plan that works for everybody. Lack of planning has brought schools that are overcrowded, roads in disrepair and a Downtown that has lost its luster. Leadership needs to tackle these issues by asking the hard questions and getting to the answers. By running for Town Clerk, I am supporting a Mayoral candidate - and will be part of a team - who is energized, creative, focused & innovative.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

My opponent is part of a group of incumbents who have ignored critical issues in our community for too long. I am running to be part of a new team of leaders focused on smarter planning and City Government that doesn't fear change.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

• Bring back our Downtown because Main Street should be a hub of growth;
• Stop runaway development because when you fail to plan, you plan to fail;
• Fix our schools because we are ranked last in the state in per pupil spending and;
• Hold the line on taxes.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a life-long Danbury area resident currently residing in Downtown Danbury. I am a passionate advocate for the revitalization of our city's Main Street. From February 2007 until May 2015, I was the Executive Director of CityCenter Danbury. In May 2015, upon leaving CityCenter, I established a consultancy company, Gartner & Main, focusing on community, business, and economic development. Successful projects include the commission of the Hatter's Monument at City Hall unveiled in June 2016; the opening of Pour Me Coffee & Wine Cafe in 2017; and participating as a business partner in the Federal Reserve Ban of Boston's Working Cities grant proposal that was awarded $450,000 to the City of Danbury.

Presently, I am a board member of the Cultural Alliance of Western CT and Friends of the Danbury Museum & Historical Society. I also serve on the Regional Advisory Council for Naugatuck Valley Community College and The Greater Danbury Area Women's Business Council. I am a founding coordinator of the Danbury Farmers' Market Community Collaborative and a former member of the Main Street Partnership. I have been a member of the Danbury Democratic Town Committee since 2014, won a seat on the Zoning Commission in the 2017 Municipal Election and was elected party Chair in March of 2018.

In 2018, I was the recipient for the Michael R. Seri Citizen-of-the-Year Award named after former Town Clerk "Tweezer" Seri who served with nine mayors of the City of Danbury.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

From former Congresswoman Elizabeth Etsy, she told that your responsibility as a public servant is to listen to the voters. I take that to heart when I am out knocking doors and making calls. I'm listening so that I can understand what issues matter to our citizens- not trying to force my point of view.