By Rit Carter
Last night, Republican Jeff Caggiano became Bristol’s 21st mayor.
Liberty Baptist Church, where the ceremony took place, was filled to capacity with supporters and well-wishers alike, sitting elbow to elbow and mostly without masks. Parking for the event swelled out onto Maple Ave.
With a police honor guard and a large cross behind him and perhaps sensing some of the community’s concerns about the choice of venue, the newly minted mayor addressed the choice immediately in his speech. “As many of you know, there’s a patchwork of mandates in the state with masking and one of the things that we really wanted to do was make masks optional for this evening. And that’s why we moved.”
The mayor then forged ahead and largely stayed away from the significant issues and instead focused on other topics. Caggiano acknowledged the people he met during the campaign and the connections made. Several not only voted for the first time but also became campaign volunteers.
The speech contained slogans he used throughout his campaign, “Bristol is a great big small town” and “Neighbors helping neighbors” to drive home his points.
One of his recurring themes was voters do not trust the government. Speaking to the questions on the ballot rejected by voters (appointed treasurer and a four-year term for the Registrar of Voters), he remarked, “We voted no to an appointed treasurer, and thank God, we have a great treasurer in Dave Preleski, but this is two years in a row now where voters have voted no. We also rejected a four-year term for the Registrars of Voters. And for me, that speaks to something. It’s really a lack of trust in government and something that I think we can change locally. I’m going to work very hard to do that the next couple years.”
He returned to this idea later while invoking President John Kennedy, “He did say 60 years ago, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.’ I think many people agree that that type of mentality doesn’t resonate with government officials today. It’s not across the board. But that’s just kind of a general feeling that people have.”
Caggiano also struck a unifying tone. He thanked the previous administration several times for their service, guidance, and aid in the transition while also acknowledging those that did not vote for him “We can’t forget the people that heard our message and voted for change. And we shouldn’t ignore those people that didn’t vote for us.”
Speaking to his success, Cagiano felt Bristol voters reacted to his campaign messages of wasteful government spending and they grew tired of mandates and restrictions. “They don’t want people to sell problems that don’t really exist. We need to restore individual freedoms, self-reliance, and hold the government accountable for the basics,” he said.
During his closing remarks, the mayor said he wants to return the city’s soul because it has been missing for a while, and he will lead the way. “I look forward to being a leader who will listen, a leader who will stand up for the will of the people, a leader that will have grace and dignity even when those that disagree or are disagreeable, a leader who will do the right thing, no matter the political fallout.”
The speech ran almost 13 minutes and was received with enthusiastic support.
The six new city councilors of Sebastian Panioto, Jolene Lusitani, Jacqueline Olsen, Susan Tyler, Andrew Howe, and Cheryl Thibeault were sworn in along with other government officials.
Notable attendees were former mayors: John Leone, Bill Stortz, Art Ward, and Ken Cockayne.
