Greenwich State Senate Candidate Debate: From "Busting" Budgets to Banishing Black Bears
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the Round Hill Association hosted a candidate debate. Joe Kelly (Republican) and Jill Oberlander (Democrat) are vying for the 36th State Senate District covering Greenwich and parts of north Stamford and New Canaan. Here is a replay of the debate with highlights below:
Unfunded Pensions & Fiscal Policy
Joe: "The state has a bit of a spending problem... How do we fix that? By lowering taxes... We have to make it comfortable for businesses to be here."
Jill: "The idea of cutting our spending is great, but the devil is always in the details—I want to know what programs are being cut."
Affordable Housing (8-30g)
Joe: "How do we end 8-30g? We vote it out... We know our parking. We know our sewers. We know our infrastructure."
Jill: "8-30g is a law that's passed its prime... 85% of municipalities don't comply. I will work with them to either moratorium, overturn, or replace it."
Jobs, Artificial Intelligence and Data Centers
Joe: "AI scares the hell out of me. We should take it slowly and understand it."
Jill: "I think New York has the right approach. I think we should pause consideration on any data center."
Rising Health Insurance Costs
Joe: "I'm against healthcare being run by the government... I want the private sector to be very involved, but there has to be some degree of oversight."
Jill: "Look at some of the pooling arrangements where small businesses and non-profits can pool together and negotiate better rates."
Most Pressing Public Safety Issue in the District
Joe: "I was told we have bear problems... Bears, speeding, and fire coverage. I'm there."
Jill: "Lack of professional fire coverage... What I hear a lot about is traffic and speeding. I-95 and the Merritt are completely congested."
Federal Cuts to Education & Healthcare Funding
Joe: "We have to make sure we fund our schools... We should be the number one school district in all of the state."
Jill: "I'm a strong advocate of supporting our schools and our vulnerable population... There will be tough decisions that need to be made."
Where They Clashed
As with most local debates, the line between each candidate was subtle, but a sharp disagreement emerged over state fiscal discipline:
Joe criticized legislative Democrats for "busting the fiscal guardrails" and overspending state budget caps.
Jill pushed back against "partisan rhetoric and vitriol," such as using the words "busted the budget." She pointed out that in "violating the guardrails" lawmakers operated strictly within legal statutory authority to make necessary one-time spending choices.
Between the Lines: If you want your State Senator to adhere to the fiscal guardrails, Joe Kelly is your choice. If you want someone who prefers nicer language while using legal statutory flexibility to circumvent the budget, Jill Oberlander is your choice. Otherwise, everyone seemed to agree, even about banishing the backcountry black bears.