Democrats Endorse Mayor Capone For Third Term Run

East Haven Democrats unanimously picked Mayor April Capone as their candidate for a third term as mayor at a party endorsement meeting Tuesday.

Capone gave an upbeat speech, detailing her accomplishments over the past four years and looking ahead at town events she has planned for the next few months.

Top on her list was the resolution of a $2.75 million budget deficit that was discovered shortly after she took office in December 2007 for her first term.

Capone said last week the town received a for the settlement of issues related to Tweed Airport. The check closed the last of the deficit, she said.

"East Haven is now on financially solid ground, and the town infrastructure has vastly improved," she said. "It will be my honor to continue East Haven on the road that we began together four years ago."

Republicans vying for the mayor's office include Joe Maturo, former mayor of East Haven, and John Finkle, a businessman.

Capone was nominated by Patrick Madley, a 2011 East Haven High School graduate, who is not even a registered voter yet, though he said he would be in time for the Nov. 8 election. State Rep. James Albis (D-99) provided the second.

"She is the person this town needs to lead it into the future," Madley said.

Capone started and ended her speech by recalling a trip she made to Washington DC for a meeting between President Barack Obama and hundreds of young, elected officials. She said the president said, "You don’t get elected to office to be somebody. You get elected to do something."

She said it was her privilege to accomplish things for East Haven, and then recited a long list of them, noting repeatedly when they were funded with grant money and not by East Haven taxpayers.

"But we don’t get re-elected based on what we’ve done. That’s in the past," she said. "We get re-elected based on what we will do, what we will accomplish, and our goals for the future."

She said she has begun charging the contractor $1,300 a day for every day the Maple Street Bridge goes over schedule, and is working with U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s office for a federal grant for a beautification project for the west end of Main Street.

East Haven would soon hire an economic development coordinator, and would hold its first Restaurant Week in September to promote the town’s restaurants. And in the Nov. 8 election, Capone said voters will get to choose between three alternative plans for the use of 200 Tyler Street, the old East Haven High School.

The Democratic Town Committee also endorsed candidates for Town Council, Board of Education, Board of Finance and Town Clerk.

Incumbent Town Clerk Stacy Gravino-Piccirillo was endorsed for another term. "She is truly a precious asset to our town, our party and our country," said Town Council Chairman James Dougherty, in a speech seconding her nomination.

Six incumbent Democrats on the Board of Education were endorsed for re-election: Nicholas Palladino, Laura Kluth, Raymond Pompano, Christine Maisano, Tia DePalma and Kristen Vineyard. They were challenged by three newcomers, Cynthia Rojas, Letizia Morales and Mary V. Erich, who were unsuccessful.

Town Council candidates

District 1 – Vincent Camera, Suzanne Youle Wardle and Richard Wyatt Cordaway.

District 2 – Joseph Santino, Gary DePalma and Beverly Gravino.

District 3 – Janice Donohue, Jo-Ann M. Lubenau and AnnMarie Nappi.

District 4 – Joseph Badamo, Michael J. Riolino and Pasquale Garguilo.

District 5 – Daniel Gleason, Andrew J. Esposito and John R. Mayhew.

Board of Finance candidates

Brendan Geelan, Richard DePalma, Noreen E. Cough and David E. Garamella.

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