Norwalk Election 2021: Jonathan Riddle 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.

Republican Jonathan Riddle, 32, is running for mayor in Norwalk.

Occupation: Financial Advisor

Family:

• Father, Peter, lives in Stamford and owns Empowered Learning Center focused on improving learning abilities.
• Mother, Donna, lives in Rye, N.Y., accountant.
• Sister, Jessica, 35, lives in Long Island, N.Y.
• Sister, Jordan, 25, lives in Rye, N.Y.

Experience: none

Family in government: No.

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

The single greatest issue in Norwalk is a lack of balance, efficiency, and transparency within our city government. City Hall continues to run limited services and our mayor is often absent from City Hall.

For eight years, one party has controlled all of the decision-making ability, and every non-elected open committee position has been hand-selected by the current mayor. Norwalk is currently run by a partisan agenda and as a result, the citizens of this city suffer.

My administration will restore integrity to the offices of our city government and maintain an open, inviting, and transparent administration. My administration will review policies and procedures to improve the operations of City Hall and restore accountability of our government to ensure our taxpayers are getting the service they deserve and paid for. My office will always be open to any Norwalker for any issue.

Finally, any position within my administration will be based on merit and qualifications, not personal relationships.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

The biggest difference between myself and my opponent is time in government. My career has been in the private sector as a fiduciary advisor, while my opponent has been a part of the government for over 40 years. While experience in government is good, it inevitably leads to knowing how to work the system to your advantage.

I will come into this government with fresh eyes, a focus on fiduciary responsibility, and a private sector fiscal responsibility approach to shake up and change "this is how things are done around here."

Norwalk will receive a fresh start with me, rather than the status quo of how city hall operates currently.

Accomplishments:

Choosing to run for mayor in a city where it is a strong Common Council and a weak mayor system, you have to have the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and different schools of thought in order to get the job done. This is very familiar to me, as a fiduciary advisor, I work with many different clients from all different backgrounds.

My professional career has prepared me to take on the role of mayor with a fiduciary responsibility ingrained in me and a will from Iona College to fight the good fight for the citizens of Norwalk. The status quo is not good enough and I will strive for excellence, not the bare minimum.

My athletic career, playing three sports in high school and Div1 football in college, taught me valuable time management skills, accountability and integrity, and a work ethic that all taxpayers will see at work when I am elected mayor.

Other issues:

Public Safety - Norwalk has significantly expanded its high-density apartments and population, but I was shocked to see the police and fire departments have remained stagnant in numbers. It is imperative we support our police and fire by increasing their size and resources to ensure they are equipped to support our growing community. A strong police and fire department is the backbone of a safe and prosperous city.

Improve our Schools - Norwalk Spends $210 million on education while our students are behind the state average for reading, science, and math. Further, we lag greatly in the college entrance exam scores. It is imperative we are investing in our children and preparing them to succeed in life. As mayor, my priority will be to deliver a school to South Norwalk.

As your next Mayor, other than education, nothing is more important to me than the daily quality of life issue regarding our roads, sidewalks, bridges, and and the traffic woes that continue to mount up. I will work diligently to ensure our roads and sidewalks are repaved and maintained properly creating a safer traffic and pedestrian environment. Our traffic issue must be addressed and I will order a review of our current traffic management systems to find deficiencies for areas of congestion and improve traffic flow.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I moved to South Norwalk in 2015 and purchased my first condo, making Norwalk my home. I have been here for six years and a lot has changed over that time. Some good, some bad. Nothing has been more frustrating than the traffic issue we currently face.

I am flexible and always open to debate ideas, learn new information, and having my mind changed. As your mayor, this is a valuable skill I hold to work with all individuals regardless of politics. I am young, flexible, and able to work long hours when necessary to get the job done right.

As I look forward to the next milestone of my life, starting a family, it is incredibly important to me to make sure this city, the Norwalk Public Schools, and our infrastructure improve greatly over the next several years for you and my family. I want to be proud and able to say "I send my children to the nationally recognized Norwalk Public Schools."

The work for that reality starts with this election.