Letters

Apicella seeks at-large seat

I am Silvana Apicella, and I am formally announcing that I am seeking one of the At-Large City Council seats to be inaugurated on December 3, 2023.

While I will be seeking the nomination at the Republican’s July convention, I will, in any process required, appear on the November 7^th ballot.

Having lived in West Haven my entire lifetime, buying a house, and raising my son, I have witnessed the decline, felt the sting of the ever-increasing taxes, the stagnation of economic development and the inaction of the present City Council.

We are enduring a diminishing quality of life due to the many years of one incompetent administration after another. This past year we heard the City Council pass a unanimous vote of no confidence, only to hear 2 members make contradictory statements within a week. We were exasperated that the City Council refused the resident’s request for oversight and monthly reporting of the Covid funds, which could have prevented $1.2 million from being stolen. We were shocked when the Council refused to act after 2, I repeat, 2 audits revealed that Department Heads received tens of thousands of dollars of Covid funds they were not entitled to receive.

We need a City Council comprised of individuals that understand the duties of being a Council member. To that end, I became fully aware of those while a member of the Charter Revision Commission in 2018. We need our Council to be accountable and represent their constituents, not their friends and bank accounts.

In the last 5 years, we have seen 6 Finance directors, two of which were dismissed in the middle of a budget cycle. We cannot trust the Mayor’s judgement; therefore, I will be seeking an ordinance which will require the City Council’s approval of any Department Head, based on qualifications and experience, not cronyism.

We realize that West Haven has endless potential, with our miles of beaches, underutilized waterfront property and lack of economic development. We are in severe need of a real vision, a renaissance, a change of the current mindset, change in how the city operates, change on the third floor, and change in the City Council.

With that endless potential, there are better days ahead for West Haven. I will work as diligently as I did on the Charter Revision Commission and as the creator of one of the finest community events in the city, Pizza Wars, that has raised thousands of dollars for our youth and charity through the West Haven Italian American Civic Association’s Women’s Auxiliary.

Those who know me understand that I WILL question that which needs to be questioned and fight for the residents; those that do not will learn very quickly. My recent appointment to the Board of Ethics, with the endorsement of members of both parties can attest to that. I have always been an advocate for the residents, and I will continue to fight for the changes necessary to ensure the success of the City.

Again, I am Silvana Apicella, and I am seeking the support of all the residents, regardless of District or affiliation, to become an At-Large City Council member in the November 7, 2023 Election.

Silvana Apicella

Error in Felicia column

There was an error in the Dear Felicia feature in the April 20, 2023 issue of the West Haven Voice. It stated that I am a candidate for the City Clerk position, which is incorrect. I am a candidate for Treasurer of West Haven, not City Clerk.
Patricia Bollettieri