Seeing the opportunity to win a position he lost by a handful of votes, former Tenth District Councilman Barry Lee Cohen announced his intention to run for the mayoral nomination on the Republican ticket in November. Cohen, the GOP standard-bearer in 2021 lost by 32 votes to incumbent Democrat Nancy N. Rossi.
The Republican took out papers for his candidacy last week, ending weeks of speculation, and setting up a three-way race for the nomination in the Republican Party. Paige Weinstein, a newcomer to city politics, and longtime Town Committee Member Stephen R. Mullins have already announced their candidacy.
Cohen’s announcement picked up right where it left off in the 2021 campaign, calling for a change in leadership from a city that hasn’t seen a Republican mayor elected since Clemente Evangeliste beat Azelio Guerra in 1989. Cohen assailed the one-party rule and what he sees a
“If there is anything that the last five years have demonstrated, we need A NEW West Haven. And should I be blessed with earning your vote and trust, I will be prepared to lead on Day One and offer ‘leadership without excuses.’ I will be accessible, forthright, and accountable,” he said. “The days of finger-pointing will stop. Residents are tired of the same song, first, second and third verses. Transparency will be practiced, not preached.”
Rossi’s last two years have been anything but calm. Since finding that city officials set up a dummy corporation to embezzle federal Covid funds, the mayor has come under attack for what some see as her lack of hands-on leadership. That case is still wending its way through the legal system with some of the principals convicted and sentenced.
But Rossi has come under criticism from the Municipal Accountability Review Board (MARB) for failing to implement changes in the way the city does business. Her administration has seen a mass exodus of top-echelon officials with the most recent being the loss of Scott Jackson as Finance Director (the third in her administration) and resignation of Doug Colter, who was the city’s Grants coordinator.
Staying with his “new West Haven” theme, Cohen said the next leader needs to face old challenges and newer ones.
“A New West Haven also requires a new leader but with the right experience, willingness, and in-depth knowledge of West Haven’s challenges and limitless potential to address the significant fiscal constraints, change the culture of City Hall, and rebuild a shattered public trust. A leader with a proven record of unquestionable community service, local engagement, and business success is required. I am that leader,” he said.
Accelerating economic development is a top priority he stated in his accompanying press release. He will focus on the following initiatives, all of which are detailed in his platform to be published on barry4westhaven.com later this month:
~~ Revitalizing the Boston Post Road
~~ A technology corridor that will extend from Frontage Road to the Railroad station.
~~ Transforming downtown.
~~ Strategic planning and marketing of our the shorefront.
~~ Putting an end to rampant blight, where some areas which have become common dumping grounds
“Although West Haven is a community of immense riches, for over a generation we’ve been recognized as the city of missed opportunities. Blaming the city’s economic neglect on our financial condition, while the MARB balanced our budget books by pouring millions of dollars into the city’s coffers, is not acceptable or sustainable,” he stated.
He applauded the use of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for needed infrastructure improvements, he said the city has to plan for when that funding dries up.
“These initiatives will be temporary if we do not have a plan in place to maintain what are intended to be transformational in helping us rise above our fiscal crisis, and improve our quality of life,” he stated.
He said to transform the city, voters have to get beyond party affiliations.
“Now more than ever, it’s time to put party labels aside. Serving the public should never be about R, D, I, U—because it’s about us,” he stated.
Cohen came close to upending the party labels the last time in an election marred by charges of irregularities particularly with absentee ballots.
His case went to court and found its way the State Supreme Court, which sustained a lower court ruling the errors involved were not enough to overturn the result.
Meanwhile, GOP opponent Mullins said tersely, “I welcome the competition.”
Anyone who has been around Cohen long enough understands that his rhetoric and line of bs are just a mirage.
Re Barry Cohen:
UNFIT FOR OFFICE
Au contraire, you have a verifiable and proven record of making demeaning and abusive comments to women whom you deem to be a threat to you because they are either smarter, wealthier or just plain superior to you. This if course can all be documented.
I have known Mr. Cohen personally before and during his campaign to unseat
Louise Martone from the West Haven City Council in District 10, West Haven. I ran a social media campaign which was instrumental in Mr. Cohen’s 124 vote margin over Ms. Martone. There are many people both Democrat and Republican who can and will attest to the aforementioned.
When Mr. Cohen began his service as a councilman, in all fairness, he started out by doing a good job. Subsequently he began to show his true colors. One half way thru his term he began to verbalize that he wished to run for mayor. I suggested that the idea was premature in that he needed to have more experience and name recognition under his belt. His ego being what it is he pooh poohed my advice.
In politics, you need to work as a team. It is not a solo performance. It is not about me, me and only me. Mr. Cohen through his conduct and actions has demonstrated how much of narcissist he is. You need a team to accomplish stated goals and objectives. This is not Mr. Cohen’s strong suit or modus operandi. As he began his quest to take control of the West Haven RTC he stepped on many shoes and verbally insulted and betrayed long time party officials and regulars.
Your quest for Mayor became a sick obsession. You cost taxpayers thousands of dollars when you sued the City of West Haven, City Clerk Patty Horvath and the longest running Republican Registrar in the State of CT, JoAnn Calligari. This was not done for the residents of West Haven, it was done for Barry Lee Cohen. Your failed vanity project taught you no lessons and the people who supported you last time around have found a stronger, better suited candidate to support this time around. You will not get the Republican endorsement this go-around. You call yourself a political outsider, but no one was deeper in the corrupt administration than you when you served 1 term on City Council. In just 1 term, you had your hands in the Finance Committee, Public Works, Economic Development and many other committees. What did this self- proclaiming dynamo accomplish during those years? Check the record…or better yet just check the New Haven Register as youwere part of the corrupt Council whose decisions, lack of oversight, judgement and common sense crippled and shamed our City.