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Joseloff and Kassen are running as a team on the Democratic ticket. Both have spent considerable time and experience in Westport government prior to winning their current posts, Joseloff as the RTM moderator, Kassen as the vice chair of the Board of Finance.
"We are running a government," Joseloff said. "We can tax to the extent we spend. Our challenge is to spend smartly. Our job is to balance competing needs and provide the services necessary to protect and enhance the lives of people who live here."
Joseloff and Kassen stand by their record. In the last four years, Joseloff has made emergency services a priority, convinced that towns will be forced to help themselves, independent of state and national assistance, should disaster strike. As such he has strengthened the police, fire and EMS departments, improving public safety. Under his watch the Code Red emergency alert system has been implemented, allowing faster and more effective communication between emergency service providers and residents.
He has worked to upgrade the town's technological expertise and facilities and residents may now do a large portion of their business with the town online, such as paying bills, signing up for beach stickers, hand passes and Parks and Recreation Department services on-line. Town Hall, Main Street, the Westport Library, and Compo Beach have all become wireless locations.
In a town where the population is outspoken and demanding, it's not easy to serve in the top jobs, but both Joseloff and Kassen feel they want the chance to continue as there is still much work to be done.
Joseloff and Kassen had been laying the groundwork to provide multifamily workforce and senior housing, but were stymied in their efforts when the recession struck.
"We have unfinished work," said Joseloff. "There is still much to be done. We are now working on a very exciting senior housing plan which incorporates a pro bono effort. It will involve minimal expense from the town, and will still place senior housing at Baron's South, which would be compatible with the senior center located nearby."
Both Joseloff and Kassen are proud of the initiatives undertaken on their watch with environmental awareness. They are proud of the support they have engendered from the Green Village Initiative, which has helped to heighten awareness of environmental issues town-wide and across age barriers. Green Village Initiative has also helped to fund the farmers market, the Sherwood Mill Pond pocket park and an edible garden for Staples High School students among other endeavors.
Other important initiatives include getting the downtown revitalized and boosting community spirit, assisted by members of the Plan Implementation Committee and "Celebrate Westport!"
Joseloff said, "We are preparing for the 21st century. These decisions are lasting and will have an impact on Westport for decades. The gestation period for new ideas is long. You have to build consensus. What worked 50 years ago no longer works. Some people believe that you come to Westport for all it offers, but when you get here you put in a moat, pull up the bridge and keep it the way it was. We need to make a few concessions. We have changing needs.
"Take for example, the Planning and Zoning approval to move toward allowing lights at Staples. We are trying to set this up in the least invasive way possible to the neighbors.
"We need to have smart growth in order to keep seniors here and to attract young people. We have a dearth of youngsters in 24-to-34 age category. They will revitalize downtown as well.
"We have lots to do, and it is not easy to do. The reward is that we have so many talented people here in Westport to help. We want to provide the resources, encourage them, and get out of the way."
Joseloff and Kassen take issue with some of the criticism engendered during the campaign, particularly in the arena of finances.
"We have been keeping our finances stable, providing for number one schools, maintaining our AAA rating," Joseloff said. "If we were such bad planners, how do we manage to fund our pension obligations?"
Still smarting from the effects of the cuts on town departments necessitated by the decision to keep taxes flat this year, Joseloff added, "Technology has helped us know how much we are saving and where we can do better. We are achieving efficiencies where we can with a first rate staff that employs good business practices."
Joseloff, who became First Selectman in 2005 after serving the town for 10 years as the moderator of the RTM, is a native of Westport. After building a 20-year career as a journalist, serving as a former UPI and CBS News journalist, Joseloff founded WestportNow.com, a hyperlocal internet website that specializes in providing the news of Westport on a 24/7 basis.
He said, "Because I've been around a long time I have a longer perspective. I grew up here and I've seen a lot. Dogs at the beach, where the Y should go, those things don't rank with death and destruction.
"Things take a bit longer in Westport. You have to build a consensus, look at things long term, and hope you leave the town a bit better than you found it. I think we've done that."
Prior to becoming Second Selectwoman, Kassen served for eight years on the Board of Finance. She is a CPA and experienced financial manager with a strong record of community service.
