Mallozzi: 'I Think I'm Off To A Good Start'

was sworn in as on November 22, 2011 and hit the ground running. Meetings, speeches, appearances, and even more meetings, have kept Mallozzi in perpetual motion. Mallozzi took time out to talk with Patch about his first few months in office.

Patch: What have things been like for you since taking over as first selectman?

Mallozzi: I love it, it's awesome. I tell everyone it's exactly how I imagined it would be. I will say that, if you really want to come in and you're goal-oriented and you notice that things can be corrected and done a little better, it was very important that I served as a member on the Board of Selectmen for four years. Town government is not like a business, it's not quite like a federal government, it's a hybrid. You really have to understand the personalities, understand the nuances, and understand the institution in order to come in and effect change. You can't just come in and say, 'I used to work for General Motors and this is the way we did it and that's the way it's going to be here.' It can't be that much top-driven. But everyone needs to recognize leadership and recognize you're familiar with the process and you work within the process. I think I'm off to a good start without bragging.

Patch: What would you consider your biggest accomplishment so far?

Mallozzi: I think the biggest accomplishment is setting some really defined goals for people that are on boards and commissions and that work for the town. And enunciating things like we need a new Town Hall and enunciating issues like we need to change a little more of the budget process. I'm just happy that I got in the budget the discussion about our pension plan. It's a pension plan that everyone thinks is perfect and it's in great shape and I'm really happy, but we need to address that issue, we need to make a contribution to the pension fund. I'm just happy that I'm bringing things out and people are accepting those issues and are acting upon those issues rather than just saying, 'We'll let the next person take of it.' I think that's a real sense of accomplishment.

Patch: What's going on this week in New Canaan?

Mallozzi: A group of 150-160 students, high school age, are going away with members of the congregational church and their youth ministries with some home builders and chaperones. They're going to Biloxi, Mississippi, giving up their whole 10-day vacation to work on housing for people whose homes and lives were devastated in the hurricane. I just think it's amazing that you have that many kids who are saying, 'I'm not going skiing, I'm not going to see grandma and grandpa in Tuscon, Arizona.' They are going to help another community. I think the life lessons that come out of that trip are just phenomenal.