Zampaglione kicks off bid for top seat

The Republican candidate for first selectman in Litchfield unveiled a portion of his campaign platform during a town hall meeting Thursday at the Litchfield firehouse.

William Zampaglione, who is challenging three-term incumbent First Selectman Denise Raap, spoke before a crowd of 40 in outlining a game plan for wresting the first selectman seat away from Raap.

“I’m running for first selectman because I believe our town deserves strong leadership, leadership that listens, makes the tough decisions, and never forgets that every tax dollar belongs to the people who worked hard to earn them,” Zampaglione said. “I also want to make sure Litchfield is a place where our children and grandchildren can build their futures and thrive for generations to come.”

Zampaglione is a principle in the PAC Group, a construction and development company based in Torrington. The firm’s assets include Dunkin in Litchfield, which recently underwent a renovation carried out in two weeks under the direction of Zampaglione, who said his experience managing construction projects ranging from $50,000 to $50 million would serve him well as first selectman.

“What I bring to this role is strong leadership with real results,” he said. “For me, strong leadership means being decisive, making the hard calls instead of putting them off. And real results mean looking ahead with foresight, holding myself and others accountable, and pushing for progress that improves people’s lives here in Litchfield.”

Several Republican candidates joined Zampaglione at the town hall forum including selectmen John Bongirono and Daniel Morosani, Town Tresurer Alan Landau and Tax Collector Helen Bunnell, all of whom praised Zampaglione as the type of leader Litchfield needs.

“I’ve been involved in politics for a long time and feel that Bill gives us the best opportunity we’ve had in many years to win the first selectman’s seat,” Bunnell said.

Bunnell then laid down a challenge for those in attendance, asking them to introduce Zampaglione to 20 people they know as the November election approaches. One on one contact with voters, she said, is necessary to get him elected.

Bongiorno, Morosani and Landau, meanwhile, described Zampaglione as a candidate who brings business and management skills to the table, attributes that would help him make strong decisions as first selectman.

“With Bill’s leadership, we can do so much more as a town,” Landau said. “There is no planning for the future right now. What is happening is issues arise and we react without a plan to resolve them.”

Zampaglione described himself as a problem solver who listens and accepts the best advice, no matter who it comes from. His relationships locally and the ones he’s forged at the state level through his involvement with the PAC Group would be tapped to benefit Litchfield if he’s elected.

As first selectman, Zampaglione said he would support police, fire and emergency services and invest in the partnerships that make the town safe and welcoming for all. His priorities include fiscal responsibility and discipline, smart growth and economic development, public safety, and support for Region 20 schools.

Litchfield is lacking on the economic development front, according to Zampaglione, who said he would use his connections to recruit clean, light manufacturing businesses and other appropriate businesses to town. Although Litchfield has an Economic Development Commission, he said, little has been done to generate new tax base.

“It would appear the claim to fame of our Economic Development Commission would be Restaurant Week, which is wonderful, and a hot dog contest,” he said of EDC initiatives. “That is not economic development. Someone has to have a plan and a vision.”

Taking aim at Raap administration, Zampaglione said allowing the state Department of Transportation to close a section of Route 202 in Bantam to thru traffic for six weeks in June and July so a bridge could be replaced proved devastating for businesses to the immediate east of the bridge.

“Those businesses got crushed because the state did what’s best for the state, not the town,” Zampaglione said. “Zini’s lost 74 percent of its business. The package store was down 80 percent, all because there was no one from the town stepping in to say what would happen if the bridge were closed.”

The new bridge should have been built one lane at a time to allow traffic to move through Bantam, he said.

Zampaglione on Saturday issued a statement criticizing Raap’s administration for ignoring Borough of Litchfield Historic District Commission regulations and pushing through the installation of replacement windows at Town Hall.

The project was completed without a certificate of appropriateness from the HDC and without a building permit from the town. Raap on Friday said no approval was needed because the window replacement was a maintenance issue. HDC Chairman Wendy Simoncelli on Thursday said the town is not exempt from HDC regulations and will be asked to appear before the commission to seek after-the-fact approval of the windows.

“This isn’t just about windows, it’s about leadership,” Zampaglione said. “This is just one example of how when town leadership ignores the rules, it undermines fairness and damages the character of our historic community. Every resident is expected to follow the law, and so should the town.”

Zampaglione pointed to his own track record of respecting regulations, noting that he worked with the HDC to ensure full compliance while managing the PAC Group’s restoration work at the Litchfield Historical Society’s law school and museum on South Street.

“As first selectman, I will hold town hall to a higher standard,” he said. “I will protect Litchfield’s heritage, ensure fairness for every resident, and lead with accountability.”

The next GOP town hall forum will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Bantam Borough Hall.