Greenwich Candidate Profile: Fred Camillo For First Selectman

GREENWICH, CT — Election day in Greenwich is getting closer and there are plenty of candidates running for various positions in town. To help residents make an informed decision on Nov. 5, Greenwich Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as the big day draws near.

Republican candidate Fred Camillo, 57, is running to become the town's new first selectman. His history in Greenwich dates back centuries, as his family has lived in town for four generations.

Though he has served six terms as state representative for the 151st house district of Greenwich, Camillo has held a number of positions in Greenwich's town government system too. He served on Greenwich's Representative Town Meeting from 1995 to 2001, and was chairman of the Greenwich Board of Parks & Recreation from 2000 to 2002.

He subsequently served as chairman of the Republican Town Committee from 2002 to 2006, shortly before shifting gears to the state level in Hartford.

"I know this town," Camillo said in an interview with Patch. "I don't come at the people; I come from them. It's my birthplace, and I love it with all my heart and never want to see it take a step backwards."

Are you running for office in Greenwich? Contact RJ Scofield at rj.scofield@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Greenwich Patch.

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

Maintaining Greenwich as a premier community to live, work, and visit, by revitalization, reformation, and reinvigorating the way we fund projects so that we tap into the generous spirit of our citizens to repurpose facilities and properties that are underused or dormant as well as upgrade athletic venues.

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

If elected, I would continue, not dismantle, the one thing that kept Greenwich above all other municipalities, and that is our modified pay as you go system. My opponent is on record for voting to change our debt policy. Another critical difference is that I know the town, our residents, our history, and its needs in a very different and more personal way. Lastly, I have a proven track record of getting things done in a bi-partisan manner on both the local and state levels.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Creating an Environmental committee that would deal with public health, and sustainability, and aesthetic; increased communication with the residents of the town via weekly e-blasts; creating a town properties commission, and a safe roads committee.

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

Having served on local committees, boards, and task forces, served on the RTM, chaired many boards and committees, including the Parks & Recreation Board and Republican Town Committee, run successful small businesses, served in the Connecticut General Assembly for 11 years, several of them in leadership roles, writing many laws that have our state leading the way in public safety, consumer protection, public health, and tax and economic reform and my lifelong commitment to Greenwich.

The best advice ever shared with me was...

Keep your word; and give and forget, and receive and remember.

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

I have built a reputation over many years and decades as a leader the people of Greenwich can trust, and one who listens while not being afraid to lead.