Danbury Candidate Profile: Rob Melillo For Zoning Commission

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.

Republican Rob Melillo, 47, is running for reelection to the Zoning Commission, where he is chairman.

Melillo has been a schoolteacher in the Danbury Public School District for 22 years. He is a Danbury High School graduate, and received a B.A. in Social Science and a Masters of Education from Harding University.

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

The single most pressing issue facing Danbury from a zoning perspective is continuing to protect the economic vitality while at the same time preserving the health, safety, and welfare of the residential community in Danbury by promoting and supporting smart and planned development. I intend to address this issue by continuing to maintain an open mind regarding all petitions for zone changes and zoning amendments as well as special permit applications while listening to the information presented in public hearings and using that information to make a well educated and logical decision on behalf of the citizens of Danbury whom I am elected to represent .

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

The critical difference between myself and many of the other candidates who are also running for a seat on the zoning commission is my years of experience serving The City of Danbury in this capacity. I have been an elected member of the zoning commission since December 2005 and have served as Chairman for the past 10 years. The knowledge and experience gained in this capacity is valuable in helping to fulfill this role.

A second critical difference pertains to my chosen occupation. I am a full time school teacher and am not involved in real estate of development in any capacity. By not being involved in Real Estate or Development it would be highly unlikely that I would find myself facing situations where my professional job would place me in conflict with decisions being made thereby causing me to recuse myself from the commission or open the commission up to legal appeals.

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 was born in Danbury and with exception of years around mine and my wife's college education I have lived in Danbury my entire life. My family also has deep roots in the Danbury/Greater Danbury area. I am proud to have served the citizens of Danbury for the past 14 plus years and would humbly request that the voters would support my bid to be re-elected for another 2 terms serving this great community.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

The best advice ever shared with me was to never say anything that you would not want to see printed on the front page of the newspaper. While this advice was given to me in regards to speaking at public meetings it is good advice to keep in mind in all situations.