James Frayer

Candidate for Common Council District E

Party Affiliation: Democrat

What district are you running to represent, and what do you see as its biggest strengths and challenges?

I currently represent District E and am seeking re-election to the Council.    My late wife and I chose to move to this area nearly fifty years ago because the residents here are actively involved and vocal about city services.  Within a few years, we were raising our children, coaching sports, participating in the PTA, civic associations, and ultimately serving on municipal commissions and committees. I have served five years on the BET and currently as Councilman for the District.  Our residents of are very involved and passionate about maintaining the character of their neighborhoods  The biggest challenge we face is maintaining the character of the district and at the same time improving education, creating affordable housing, updating our infrastructure and essential services, not only for new young families, but for our seniors as well. 

How would you ensure the voices of your constituents are heard and reflected in city policy?

One of the questions I have heard most in the past years on the Council is we are not transparent enough. While online portals and public data—such as budgets, spending plans, and project contracts—are accessible, and meetings and hearings are open to everyone, it is often assumed that the public fully understands the content and decisions being discussed.  Going forward I will be creating a District E Newsletter to discuss business affecting our district and providing details of actions coming before the Council for a decision.  In addition, we intend to have quarterly “town hall” gatherings in various areas around the District to understand constituents’ concerns.

What specific projects, services, or infrastructure improvements are most needed in your district? And how would you advocate for them?

Infrastructure first, during my two years on the Council we have completed many sidewalk and paving improvement projects including Rowayton Ave from the RR station to the village center, on Richards Ave by Fox Run school, Witch Lane from Wilson Ave to Hunt Street, and Flaxhill road.  The West Cedar Street bridge will be completed shortly after Thanksgiving. We will not stop working to resolve drainage issues in parts of West Norwalk and traffic calming throughout the district including increasing police enforcement of speed limits.  

Of course, these efforts cannot be accomplished without funding. As chairman of the Finance Committee of the council I will facilitate conversations with the City and the Board of Ed to avoid the consternation we witnessed last year. I have already met with the CFOs of both the City and the BOE to talk about plans for next year’s operating and capital budgets.  I have asked them to look at their operating departments to determine where economies can be recognized through the elimination of work silos, duplication of efforts and improvement of work processes.  The City commissioned an efficiency study several years ago that needs to be revisited, particularly around technology infrastructure. I will advocate for department heads to examine the status quo and look for innovative processes to make the municipality work more efficiently.

Norwalk is a diverse city. How would you work to bridge divides and represent the full range of residents in your district, across race, income, age, etc.?

District E is one of the largest in the city it has a diverse population combined with its beautiful shorelines, rural country roads, and urban shopping centers making this western portion of the city unique.  But as every district has its own identity, we are all part of the same vibrant city that makes us one of the most sought-after places to live, work, and raise a family.

I will work hard to educate our constituents on what is happening in the whole city and how it will impact our district.  I have mentioned earlier the plans for a District E newsletter and periodic “town hall” meeting.  I would invite my colleagues on the council, as well as department heads come to talk about their plans and challenges.

What are your top three priorities for Norwalk as a whole, and how does your district factor into those goals?

• Strong financial management with responsible budgeting, maintain our AAA credit rating and keep our Fund Balance (Rainy Day fund) above average.
• Work with the Department heads to develop new revenue sources in order to maintain growth but limit property taxes.
• Continue to develop and improve our infrastructure, including development of a Stormwater Authority to allocate costs more equitably.

How would you address concerns about development, traffic, and preserving the neighborhood character of your district?

I am very concerned about maintaining the character of our neighborhoods. Smaller homes developed in the mid-sixties should not be rezoned to multi-family homes.  There should be opportunities for young families and first-time home buyers to access real estate.  New development should focus on cluster housing or condominiums moderately priced aimed at this demographic.

Most importantly, Planning & Zoning needs to be diligent in vetting projects and ensure the community understands the extent of the impact.

What’s your position on affordable housing, and how should it be implemented in your district specifically?

Affordable housing is an important subject not only for young people but particularly for seniors now living on fixed incomes.  Seniors have lived and raised families in their neighborhood but are now faced with increasing rent, taxes, and property maintenance.

We need to look at innovative ways to alleviate this growing problem.  Accessory living units for houses, the conversion of vacant commercial property to apartments, as well as requiring a higher number of affordable house units in new development. Finally, city owned property not designated as park land might be an opportunity to recover property taxes and provide new affordable housing.

How do you see the Council’s role in shaping school Funding?

The Council has the responsibility to set the cap on the total government and BOE budget.  The BOE budget is built by their CFO and the Superintendent of schools so the Council’s influence over specific lines in the School budget is limited.  However, as the Chair of the Finance Committee I have recently met with the CFOs of the City and the BOE to emphasize finding efficiencies and opportunities to cut expenses.  In addition, we will hold periodic joint meetings with the Board of Estimate throughout the budget.  Finally, as my role on the Finance Committee I will work with the BOE to develop new opportunity for outside funding either through Education Foundations or philanthropic sources.

What city services do you believe need the most improvement in your District? 

Stormwater management is very important for our district as well as the entire city.  As Chairman of the DPW committee I have been promoting the development of a Stormwater Authority.  This vehicle will complete the development of the infrastructure and manage the cost of controlling stormwater runoff.  Allocating the cost based on the amount of impervious surface of a taxpayer’s property will undoubtedly move the burden of taxes from residential to commercial.

Finally, streets and sidewalks maintenance along with increased enforcement of speed limits will need to be improved.

Do your support changes to the city’s budget process to increase transparency, public input and Council input?

Having served on the BET and the Finance Committee through a number of budget cycles, the integrity of the process I believe is sound.  Where we need to improve is better communication to enable the public to understand the elements and drivers of the budget.  I mentioned earlier in District E we will hold quarterly “town hall” gatherings to listen to the concerns of our constituents.  The  upcoming budget cycle will feature many more joint BOE/ City meetings on the formation of the budget.

How will you collaborate with the other Council member representing your district and with the at-large members to get things done?

I have always been an active listener.  I want to understand the content of my colleagues’ suggestions and opinions before I speak. I have over fifty years of financial operations transformation experience. I work with my fellow council members to build consensus.

What is your approach to resolving conflict or disagreement, either with fellow Council members or constituents?

The answer is once again listening to your colleague, adversary, or constituent andl finding the common ground.  The objective will always be to develop avenues of communication and find those issues upon which you can agree and build a consensus.

How will you keep residents informed about city decisions and how they affect your district?

As I have mentioned a few times, I will issue a Quarterly newsletter to the district constituency to make them aware of projects and initiatives on the horizon to understand their concerns and thoughts.  Periodically we will have a District “town hall” to hear from the public.  

What experience, professional, civic, or lived has prepared you to represent your district effectively?

I have worked in financial management for over fifty years, in operations and consulting.  My entire career was dealing with many companies in very different industries in the US and internationally. My focus was always to evaluate the operations of an organization and recommend opportunities to improve the process and increase profitability.  After retirement, I served on the BET for nearly five years. During that period, I met every department head and their staffs during budget discussions and we developed relationships. When I joined the Council two and a half years ago I was well versed in how the city functioned.  However, after two years on the Council I gained a real appreciation of how important communication with my constituents can be. As I have mentioned previously I will focus on better communication with my constituents.

If elected, how will you remain accessible to residents and responsive to local concerns throughout your term?

My first term I was attentive to constituent requests and made an effort to respond on a timely basis. If re-elected, my focus will be more outreach to the district, through social media, a newsletter, “town hall” meeting, or attending neighborhood meetings.