A few photos from the July Fundraiser. Next and final formal fundraiser is scheduled for Thursday October 17th

We are in 3rd gear right now; we raised a really solid amount for two reporting periods but we’ll need more for all the direct mailers and media advertising that we have to undertake to push this race forward and get us to 4th gear and then overdrive.

While we may have small events that will be used to raise some small amounts of additional donations and funds for the overall effort, the last hurrah is going to be the final, formal fundraiser on Thursday October 17th at 6:30PM – there will be more on that soon but in the meantime block that night on your calendars.

The photos below are just a few from our July Fundraiser – I will add some more in a future post.

Speaking with Lieutenant Governor Nancy S. Wyman

 

With Lieutenant Governor Nancy S. Wyman and Wallingford Democratic Town Committee Chairman Vincent Avallone

 

With Lieutenant Governor Nancy S. Wyman and Connecticut State Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo

 

With Lieutenant Governor Nancy S. Wyman, Connecticut State Comptroller Kevin P. Lembo, Attorney and former Secretary of the State of Connecticut Susan Bysiewicz and Democratic Town Council Candidate Dana Camp

Fundraising goal met, Zandri hires political consulting firm

As published in the Record Journal on Sunday April 21, 2013

By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

WALLINGFORD — After exceeding fundraising goals for the first quarter of the year, mayoral candidate Jason Zandri has hired a political consulting firm to assist his campaign.

Zandri, a Democrat who currently serves on the Town Council, said his campaign raised “more money than planned” between Jan. 1 and March 31.

According to fundraising records available to the public at the Town Clerk’s office, Zandri collected $10,138.57 from 118 individuals. Zandri also received $134.85 from Wallingford Empowered, a local organization started by concerned citizens. He used $450 of his own money. Another $500 worth of in-kind donations came from Zandri’s uncle, James Zandri.

Having exceeded his goal of $10,000 for the first quarter, Zandri has hired the Connecticut political consulting firm “What’s Next.”

“They know how to do it better than we might,” Zandri said of the company’s ability to assist in campaign tasks such as mailings, organizing fundraisers and developing targeted walking routes so that Zandri can meet voters in person. “They’re basically going to get and organize all tasks I have to do.”

Zandri said some of the company’s past work “really made it seem they were the types to hit the groundrunning and reach our goals.”

The company consists of Jason Paul, Jim Sargent and Matt Zagaja. All three have been involved in various state Democratic campaigns in recent years.

The amount of money raised by Zandri in the first quarter of the year is encouraging to Democratic Town Committee Chairman Vincent Avallone.

“I think it’s an indication of how well Jason is campaigning,” Avallone said. “People don’t usually generate money like that in the first quarter.”

Though he couldn’t get into details, Avallone said recent issues in town have helped Zandri’s cause.

“There are some issues that will be emphasized in the upcoming campaign,” he said.

Avallone said that Zandri’s campaign is “on course,” adding that “the enthusiasm just seems to be growing.

It’s still unknown who Zandri will be run against. Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr., a Republican, could not be reached for comment for this story. Dickinson, the town’s mayor since 1984, has not announced if he will run again. Republican Town Committee Chairman Bob Prentice said Dickinson normally doesn’t make that announcement until June or sometimes July.

“Normally he lets me know or he keeps it secret,” Prentice said.

But if Dickinson were to step down, Prentice expects he would let people know early on.

“I would assume he wouldn’t wait until the last minute to let people know if he weren’t running,” Prentice said. “He’s a businessman. He doesn’t conduct business like that.”

Regarding Zandri’s decision to hire an outside political consulting firm, Prentice said the practice is unusual.

“We don’t normally do it on the Republican side,” said Prentice, who has been on the town committee board for the last 20 years. If campaign aid is necessary, members of the town committee usually step up to help, he said. Locally, he said, it’s “not that often” that you see someone seek outside political aid. Prentice said “it’s a new world” and that “politics is turning into a different game.”

Campaigning for Dickinson doesn’t require outside political help, Prentice said.

“The mayor runs on what he’s done and what the town has done,” he said. “We don’t normally do much other than that.”

Zandri’s goal is to match his first quarter fundraising effort in the second quarter, from April 1 through June 30. But he understands it won’t be easy.

“It’s going to be a harder quarter to do,” he said, adding that his campaign fundraising effort may be hurt by his effort to raise money for Independence Day fireworks in Wallingford.

But even with the tough task at hand, Zandri is confident.

“I go into everything with the same mindset,” he said. “I see a way to get things accomplished, and I do that. I’m totally confident in the people behind me.”

Zandri’s goal going forward is to reach older residents in town.

“I would be foolish to say I don’t need to target the elder demographic,” Zandri said.

It’s a task he’ll try to accomplish with help from the political consulting firm he has hired. Even without the firm around in the opening months of his campaign, Zandri said he has been getting good feedback.

“I like to believe I’m reaching the people that are not normally local voters,” he said.

Campaign hires What's Next Connecticut Campaign and Political Consulting

Jason Zandri for Mayor Committee announces the hiring of What's Next Connecticut Campaign and Political Consulting.

Jason Paul has been involved in Democratic politics since knocking on doors for Congressman Sam Gejdenson in 2000. He was national high school liaison for Young Democrats of America and President of the Brandeis Democrats. Since graduating from college in 2009 he has worked at the municipal, congressional and statewide levels. Most recently he managed the upset campaign of State Representative David Alexander in Enfield’s 58th district. He is also known as an op-ed writer for CT News Junkie.

Jim Sargent has been active in Democratic campaigns since he was a high school student volunteering for then-State Representative Chris Murphy. In the years since, he has played a wide variety of roles on municipal, state legislative, and statewide campaigns, including managing the database for Governor Dannel Malloy‘s 2006 campaign and leading the field operations for Hartford’s City Council President Shawn Wooden. Jim believes that campaigns are won when hard work meets useful data and creative messaging, and that is what guides his work with What’s Next. Off the campaign trail, Jim spends his time agonizing over Seattle Mariners baseball, daydreaming about Hartford Whalers hockey, and wondering how the world would be different if Michael Dukakis had been elected President.

Matt Zagaja is an attorney who has been knocking doors for campaigns since high school. As a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute he founded the WPI College Democrats. During his senior year of college he was elected President of the College Democrats of Massachusetts and named a Most Valuable Player by the College Democrats of America for his work in growing the organization. In addition to working for various Connecticut campaigns, he interned for the United States House of Representatives and Connecticut’s State Elections Enforcement Commission. He resides in Wethersfield where he is a member of the Wethersfield Democratic Town Committee.

Wrap up from the first fundraiser

The first formal fundraiser of the campaign was a complete success with over 200 tickets sold and about 150 people in attendance despite the threat of foul weather.

Attorney General George Jepsen was in attendance and kicked off a short support speech for the attendees at Gouveia Vineyards this evening.

Former Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz was also on hand to speak and offer her support to the campaign.

We know the weather kept some additional folks that wanted to come at home but we will be having additional events in the summer after the Fireworks are fully fundraised for the 2013 celebration.

We’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, those of you interested in mailing in a donation can do so by making your donation and sending it to:

”Jason Zandri for Mayor Committee”
c/o 23 Cardinal Drive
Wallingford CT 06492

Thanks again to everyone that donated to date and who were able to come tonight and offer additional support of both time and money.

I’m looking forward to working with you on the campaign over the next few months on the road to November.

The best way to predict the future is to create it

As found on the internet…

“MOVING WALLINGFORD FORWARD”

Letter to the editor of the Record Journal - Forward vision

Editor: “Moving Wallingford Forward” is going to take many things. Understanding where we’ve been, what we’ve done well, and if it is still relevant to do so to keep doing it. Accepting what we’ve done incorrectly or inefficiently and to not repeat those efforts. We need to understand the changes in the landscape in order to navigate the terrain that is in front of us.

Technology will offer more ease of access, open government, more services and allow us to streamline work that needs to be done and make our government more efficient. We will find ways to do more with less and by attrition through retirements and promotions we will shrink the cost of Wallingford government and some of the tax burden on the taxpayer. The Incentive Housing Zone will rejuvenate the Wallingford Center; that means more businesses, a growing grand list, and more people from out of town spending money in Wallingford. The New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) Rail project will put a commuter train through town and allow people to get to this new and rejuvenated Wallingford Center that will develop over the next 10 to 20 years without the need to bring a car and park it. Affordable housing will develop in the zone which allows for good housing for young adults that would use that commuter rail-line to get to and from work anywhere from Springfield to New York City. This would allow young adults to return back home after college and allow them to afford to live in the town they grew up in as well as attract young professionals from out of town to discover Wallingford and to call it their new home.

“If you build it, they will come.” But we must have forward vision and strategic planning in place for it to happen.

JASON ZANDRI , WALLINGFORD TOWN COUNCIL

D-CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR

Town of Southington to accept more credit card payments

As published in the Record Journal Tuesday January 15, 2013

By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

SOUTHINGTON — Town Manager Garry Brumback announced during Monday’s Town Council meeting that a credit card company has been contracted to expand and connect card payment services to several departments in the town, moving residents a step closer to experiencing a totally digital Town Hall.

The change will allow residents to pay bills online using credit cards. Currently, credit cards can only be used in the Sewer Department, and at the town clerk and tax collector’s office, and each office uses a different point of sales vendor.

“Town Clerk Leslie Cotton has chaired a committee that has consolidated credit card function throughout town,” Brumback said during Monday night’s meeting.

The town has hired PayGOV to extend credit services to the Building Department, Planning and Zoning Department, Engineering Department and Parks and Recreation Department. The change will allow all departments to use the same vendor.

Cotton said that members from several town departments assisted on the committee that she chaired. Cotton said that the committee initially found nine companies, before narrowing its search to four “to bring in and make a presentation.”

After almost six months, Cotton said the committee chose PayGOV “because this is their specialty.”

The company specializes in providing point of sales services to municipalities. Cotton said PayGOV has clients in 30 states, but is just now expanding into the Northeast. “We would be the first in Connecticut,” Cotton said.

PayGOV is offering to install services free of charge. Cotton said the company will be in town beginning the installation process next week.

According to the company’s website, PayGOV “facilitates electronic payment for government and utility payments.”

“Our system allows for use of your card to pay government or utility obligations,” the company’s website states. “With our payment solution, you are able to make a payment for: taxes; utility bills; tuition; licenses; fines and fees.”

“We felt this was a really good choice for us,” Cotton said of choosing PayGOV.

The company’s services will be phased into six new departments, but current services at the tax collector’s office will remain for the time being. Cotton said the department will install the new credit service “in a couple months.”

Residents who chose to pay the town through this service will be charged a convenience fee, Cotton said. Currently, residents are charged either 3 percent or $3 per transaction in the town clerk’s office, and that fee will only go down with the PayGOV. Cotton said the fee per transaction for the company will either be 3 percent or $2. Fees in the Tax Collector and Sewer Department offices are lower, at 2.54 percent, and that lower fee will be honored with the new service provider. The company’s services are “renewed on a monthly basis,” Cotton said.

Town Councilor Dawn Miceli commented that the service will help move Southington closer to Brumback’s goal of a digital Town Hall.

“This seems like such a convenience to residents,” she said.

In other Town Council action, Brumback announced the timeline for the budget process. He said he received budget requests from department leaders on Friday. On Feb. 18, the Board of Finance will receive and review requests before holding a public hearing on March 4. After the public hearing, the Board of Finance will adopt a budget and submit it to the Town Council on April 1. The Town Council will have until May 31 to adopt the town’s final budget for fiscal year 2013-14.

Notes from the campaign kickoff meeting and the road ahead

We had a good week of planning for the race to the seat of Mayor here in Wallingford; with 20+ people in attendance to the campaign kickoff meeting and the input received on top of my own personal ideas of where we all want to see Wallingford end up over the next 10 to 20 years.

We have a great platform to solidify and run with as part of the effort of “Moving Wallingford Forward”.

Yes, technology is going to be part of the platform but I am far from laying all of my bets on that; leveraging technology for more ease of access, more open government, more services available will come as part of a calculated effort to streamline work that needs to be done and make our government more efficient. We will find ways to do more with less and by attrition through retirements and promotions we will shrink the cost of Wallingford government as that end result limits some of the tax burden on the taxpayer.

The Incentive Housing Zone will rejuvenate the lower downtown area – that means more businesses, a growing grand list, and more people from out of town spending money here in our Wallingford Center.

The currently ongoing rehabilitation of the rail line through Wallingford as part of the construction for the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) Rail program to put a commuter train onto our rails through town is going to be a huge boon to all of this; it will allow people to get to this new and rejuvenated Wallingford Center that can develop over the next 10 to 20 years without the need to bring a car and park it to enjoy Wallingford Center.

The affordable housing that will develop as part of the Incentive Housing Zone would allow for good housing for young adults that would use that commuter rail line to get to and from work anywhere from Springfield to New York City. This would allow our high school students to return back home after college and be able to afford to live in the town they grew up in.

It can also attract young professionals from out of town to discover Wallingford and all it has to offer, allowing Wallingford to “replenish” her aging population with the next generation of adults that will grow up here and have families and call Wallingford home.

This is a classic case of “if you build it, they will come” but we must have the vision and the strategic planning in place for it to happen.

It will not happen overnight; it will take years, but they go by faster than you think.

Most people have enough history and memory to look back 15 years ago and remember a time in Wallingford before places like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowes existed. A time when there were one or two Dunkin Donuts (and now there are four) as well as a host of other businesses that were not yet established in town like Basil's Pizza Restaurant as well as Jakes and Knuckleheads and Tata's Restaurant.

All these things have come in the past 15 years and most of it has been positive growth for Wallingford; in order to keep that ongoing the momentum must be “forward”.

Greater things are in store for the next 15 if we are willing to commit the strategic planning to make it happen and we as a community want to be “Moving Wallingford Forward”.