My Breakfast With Catherine Ciferni
Well, in my case, it was a ‘second’ breakfast, but I skipped lunch. I swear! BTW, I recommend the Sinclair Cafe as a nice breakfast spot in Newark.
Catherine is running for Mayor of Newark and is the progressive Democrat in the race. Mayor of Newark has little in common with what we normally think of as a mayor. Newark has a City Manager/City Council form of government. The mayor essentially is more of a legislative role. (S)he serves on Council and appoints council members to legislative committees. While Newark elections are non-partisan, party affiliation has been a consideration for some time now. The post pays about $8200 annually for a part-time position. A Penn State graduate, Catherine currently tutors international students part-time at UD in improving their language skills. She said that she would cut back on her hours there if she becomes mayor.
What impressed me most about Catherine was her thoughtfulness, particularly when it comes to Newark’s long-term future. She said that she’s not running for ego, but rather seeks to bridge the issues between city, council and the university. She said that each entity tends to be ‘isolation-oriented’, and she seeks to improve communication between them.
She talked extensively of the ‘town/gown’ relationship. She said that both the university and the city have had extensive leadership turnover. She said that neither side sees a ‘symbiotic relationship’ between the two, something we’ve seen to an extreme degree in Council’s recent push to limit partying at the University Of Delaware. A recurring theme was her desire to simply foster communication among all of Newark’s constituencies.
She criticiqued Council for being ‘more about people, less about governance’, and said that Council has failed to address ongoing community concerns.
She expressed deep concern about the lack of long-term planning for Newark’s future. Issues she cited include:
*How to address declining revenue caused by, of all things, energy efficiency. Since revenue from electrical usage is the city’s main revenue source, increased energy efficiency yields less revenue.
*The ‘higher-ed bubble’, which could reduce UD enrollment by about 15% by 2024.
*The need to develop and market Newark as a ‘vibrant, energetic’ place that can attract more young-to-middle-aged families looking for a great town to settle in.
*The need to adjust the city’s comprehensive plan to control patchwork development via variances.
I came away from our meeting with respect for Catherine’s serious approach to bringing people together to address these issues. If you are a voter in Newark, I recommend that you seriously consider her candidacy for Mayor.
