Norwalk Election 2021: Harry Rilling For Mayor

NORWALK, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in town will be on the ballot.

To help readers make an informed decision on Nov. 2, Patch has reached out to local candidates to share their views on a few topics.

Democratic incumbent Harry Rilling, 74, is running for mayor in Norwalk.

Occupation: Mayor, City Of Norwalk

Family: His wife, Lucia; his children Christine, Melanie, and Stephen, and seven grandchildren.

Experience: Mayor and City of Norwalk

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

Continuing to lead on pandemic recovery while keeping taxes down and providing excellent services for residents. Norwalk took a leading role in pandemic response; supporting small businesses through local grant programs, invigorated a new community services program to help residents, expanded outdoor retail and dining spaces, and crucially passed a budget with no tax increases.

Through four terms in office, Mayor Rilling has kept taxes and spending under control. Norwalk continues to have one of the lowest mill rates in Connecticut among its peers. Our city has strong cash reserves, superb credit ratings, and has experienced grand list growth consistently over Mayor Rilling’s time in office. Balanced budgets, no tax increases, new development, and AAA Bond Ratings; Mayor Rilling has worked hard to save Norwalk taxpayers money when they need it most.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Experience is the critical difference between candidates in this election. Mayor Rilling has served as Mayor of Norwalk since 2013. He has dedicated his entire professional life to public service from the U.S. Navy to the Norwalk Police Department. That experience proved to be invaluable in informing Mayor Rilling’s decisions in the face of the most widespread public health and safety crisis of the last century. Mayor Rilling has a record of steady, progressive leadership that has grown the grand list each year, ushered in unprecedented economic development, reduced crime in every neighborhood and improved Norwalk's schools to a #1 ranking in the state.

Accomplishments:

- Statewide leader in pandemic response and recovery.

- Grand list growth every year.

- Economic Development across the city including the new SoNo Collection, Washington Street Improvements, new mixed-use developments such as Waypointe and hundreds of new businesses with good-paying jobs for residents.

- Millions of dollars in investment in the city

- Crime is down in every neighborhood. Norwalk is as safe as it has ever been. Serious crimes are at a historic low down by over 1000 incidents per year and 911 response times have been improved by more than 40 percent (from 6 minutes to 3.5 minutes).

- Norwalk public schools are ranked #1 on the state education report card - significantly outperforming peer cities and towns. Mayor Rilling continues to make historic investments in Norwalk schools, their students and families.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

Harry W. Rilling was elected Mayor of the City of Norwalk on November 5, 2013 following a campaign that offered open and accessible government, financial responsibility, and responsiveness to the educational and structural priorities of the City.

The City of Norwalk, under Rilling's steadfast leadership, has seen: record-level of funding for education services without major tax increases, a severe drop in violent crimes, and a significant commitment to community services. Norwalk is moving into the 21st century as a revitalized, modern city that is welcoming of all people.

Born and raised in Norwalk, Harry Rilling graduated from Norwalk High School in 1965 and enlisted in the United States Navy in 1967. During his military service, he was stationed at the government's largest communications facility in Isabella, Puerto Rico, where he served as a communications specialist with a Top Secret Special Category Security Clearance. In 1970, he was assigned as communication supervisor at the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet. He received an Honorable Discharge from the Navy with the rank of E-5 in 1971.

In September of 1971, he joined the Norwalk Police Department where he began his career as a patrolman. He was promoted to the rank of Detective in 1976 and received assignments to the Burglary Squad and the Special Services (Narcotics) Division. In 1980 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and performed his duties as supervisor in both the Patrol and Communications Division.

As a Lieutenant from 1983 to 1987, he served as Commanding Officer in charge of recruitment and training, crime prevention, community relations, traffic, safety and collaborative planning. In 1987 he was promoted to Deputy Chief. As second in command of the Norwalk Police Department his area of responsibility was expanded to include Command of Field Operations, budget management, oversight of disciplinary review, Freedom of Information Act compliance and labor relations.

In May 1995, Mayor Rilling received his promotion to the rank of Chief of Police, where he served under three different mayors. Following his retirement in 2012, Mayor Rilling was appointed to the Norwalk Zoning Commission where he served until his election as Mayor.

Throughout his career in law enforcement, Mayor Rilling continually pursued educational opportunities in police related fields of study. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Iona College and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1989. In 1991, he as a Graduate Fellow he earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Labor Relations and Human Resource Management from the University of New Haven. He is also a graduate of the FBI Executive Development Course. From 1996 to 2004, he was an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at Norwalk Community College.

In addition to his considerable duties as Chief, he also served on numerous boards and commissions locally and throughout the nation. Harry was an on-site assessor and team leader with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). He presided as Chairman of the Mid-Fairfield Substance Abuse Coalition (MFSAC). Harry is past President of both the Fairfield County Chiefs of Police Association (FCCP) and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association (CPCA). Moreover, he was chosen by the CPCA to be Connecticut's representative to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

Shortly after September 11, 2001, Harry was selected to teach a course developed by Michigan State University and the Department of Homeland Security titled "Leading From the Front - Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness for Law Enforcement Executives." For three years he taught this course in various cities around the country including Reno, Nevada; Boston, Mass; and Trenton, New Jersey. He is a Life member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and a Board member of the National Committee on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs a committee of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Respected by his peers, Harry was elected to serve as Police Union President in 1976.