Ribbon cuttings aren’t cutting it
Fred Camillo wants another term this November. After three terms, you’d expect a record of real accomplishments. Instead, progress has stalled—and when it comes, it’s usually driven by others, while Fred is there only for the ribbon cutting.
Let’s talk specifics
The Board of Education finished its master plan for renovating aging schools nearly eight years ago. Yet under Camillo’s tenure, not one project has been completed.Schools remain out of ADA compliance. Fred stood by as his own party on the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) repeatedly vetoed funding for Central Middle and Old Greenwich Schools for years—delays that cost taxpayers millions. He utterly failed to shield schools from the devastating $4 million cut that led to staff layoffs and disrupted start times.
Fred did nothing as BET Republicans blocked the Glenville Corridor traffic and pedestrian safety project. Only when Democratic State Rep. Rachel Khanna intervened did the town finally secure $6.5 million in state grants—allowing construction to begin after years of delay.
In March, the town legislature’s Budget Oversight Committee raised alarms about the project backlog under Camillo’s tenure. “The Town does not appear to have a credible 5-/15-year capital plan at all,” it noted. Later, in a bipartisan vote the RTM asked him to return September 15 with numbers. He was a no show.
The Dorothy Hamill Rink has been in need of upgrades for decades, but progress has been in limbo since 2017. Fred’s hand-picked committee failed. After eight years, the project is back at square one. Fortunately, a new task force—this time inclusive and community-driven—has restarted the process.
Greenwich created an Affordable Housing Trust Fund in 2021 as a means to increase our affordable housing stock, while respecting local zoning control. The Trust was supposed to raise $450,000 in donations to unlock matching federal funds. Yet, under Fred’s lack of leadership, it raised only $35,000 and the federal funding for local housing efforts was redirected. That’s despite a 2022 RTM resolution, co-authored by Democratic candidate for First Selectman Anthony Moorpassed with broad bipartisan support, urging the town to accelerate affordable housing planning.
A Holly Hill (the dump) plan to reduce congestion has gathered dust for more than a decade. A $100,000 fire response study recommended improving service to northwest Greenwich, but has sat untouched for five years. Same story for the coastal resiliency plan. And don’t get us started on water quality at Greenwich beaches, which have declined year after year and resulted in frequent “no swimming” warnings.
Chasing vanity projects instead of real needs
Meanwhile, Fred has fruitlessly chased pet projects no one asked for, like a redesign of Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, turning the Havemeyer Building on Greenwich Avenue into a hotel, installing a George H. W. Bush statue in the middle of our shopping district, and trying to foist dog parks on Glenville and Byram. At the same time, residents’ priorities—sidewalks, accessibility, traffic, parking, school renovations, flood prevention—have been ignored.
Worse, Fred’s choices have cost taxpayers. His redundant $346K investigation into a Project Veritas video reached the same “nothing to see here” conclusion as four previous investigations. And over the past year, Fred’s been racking up legal bills for taxpayers to shoulder in his crusade against our own Board of Education (BOE)—a court fight that even Fred admitted is moot. Then there was the $1.5 million of taxpayer money to litigate Fred’s political grudges from “signgate.”
Leadership is not a spectator sport. Greenwich deserves better. We need leaders who listen, plan, roll up their sleeves and deliver. This November, please vote Row A for Greenwich Democrats.
Let’s bring Town Hall into the 21st century
Greenwich takes pride in its history—the landmarks, the neighborhoods, the character that makes the town feel timeless. But when it comes to Town Hall operations, being “historic” isn’t something to brag about. In 2025, residents shouldn’t have to print out forms and hand-deliver them. It’s inefficient, costly, and out of step with how modern communities function.
For Democrats running for local office this November, modernization isn’t a buzzword. It’s front and center. The tools already exist. Artificial Intelligence and other digital technologies are transforming industries everywhere, cutting costs while improving service.
Town Hall doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel—just catch up. Hale Bayram, Democratic candidate for Tax Collector explains, “digitizing government services has the potential to unlock tremendous value for residents and the town administration.”
Picture this:
- Routine permits, streamlined. AI-powered systems can handle applications automatically, turning a process that now takes hours into one that takes minutes. Staff time is freed up, and residents aren’t wasting theirs.
- Smarter traffic management. Algorithms can spot bottlenecks before they form and flag roads that need repairs before a pothole becomes a sinkhole. The result: fewer jams, fewer emergencies, fewer surprise expenses.
- Budgets driven by data. Instead of repeating “last year’s numbers,” AI can sift through years of spending, spotlight waste, and highlight where investments pay off. Leaders get a long-term plan, not short-term guesswork.
The contrast with Republican leadership couldn’t be clearer. On the Board of Estimate and Taxation, Republicans have treated budget cuts as the only tool in the toolbox. That approach has left services hollowed out and residents frustrated. But cutting isn’t the same as improving. Democrats are offering something different: using technology to do more with less.
The choice isn’t between spending more and doing less. It’s between clinging to outdated habits and making a strategic investment in efficiency that will serve taxpayers well into the future.
Action calendar
September 28. Volunteer.
Come join us at our Greenwich Dems campaign headquarters for our canvass kickoff! No experience necessary. We will pair you up. 9 Greenwich Office Park – 3rd Floor, 10:00 a.m.
September 29. Learn.
Register for the League of Women Voters’ candidate debate forums, starting with the Board of Selectmen candidates on Monday 9/29. 7:00 p.m., Town Hall Meeting Room. Seating is limited but you can watch from home too. Sign up and information here.
October 7. Attend.
Come watch Anthony Moor and Rachel Khanna discuss important issues that impact our town at the Round Hill Association candidate debate. Refreshments 6:30 p.m., debate 7:00 p.m. Round Hill Community House, 397 Round Hill Road, Greenwich.
| Volume 4, Number 15 • September 25, 2025 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |