Four-term Common Council member is, “Ready to lead on day one”
Common Council President Barbara Smyth filed papers with the Town Clerk to run for Mayor of the City of Norwalk earlier today. Barbara Smyth is a retired Norwalk Public School teacher, four-term member of the Norwalk Common Council, mother of three, and grandmother. She is a committed public servant with a proven track record of experience to ensure that Norwalk maintains its excellent public education system and continues to grow as a vibrant, affordable, sustainable, and equitable City for all.
Barbara Smyth issued the following statement upon filing her papers:
“I’m here today to file my candidacy for Mayor of Norwalk. I’m a 26-year resident, retired Norwalk Public School teacher, four-time elected member of the Common Council, a mother of three grown children, and grandmother to Henry and Lila. I love Norwalk. I am running because I’m a committed public servant with a proven record of experience to ensure that Norwalk maintains its excellent public education system, and continues to grow as a vibrant, affordable, sustainable, and equitable City for all.
It has been my great honor to serve on the Common Council—as a member, Council President, and Majority Leader. I have fought for robust funding for our schools, worked to keep taxes fair, supported responsible, sustainable development, green initiatives, affordable housing, and improved the quality of life for all of Norwalk’s citizens. I have deep working relationships with City staff and community leaders and a solid understanding of negotiating and collaborating to get things done.
I’ve also worked as a dedicated teacher at Ponus Ridge Middle School and Norwalk High School, where I helped students achieve, believe in themselves, and be good citizens of the world. As a teacher, I learned the importance of reflection and always working to do things better.
Many of you also know me as a mom and your neighbor. My children, Alison, Ben, and Ethan, graduated from Norwalk schools, attending Cranbury Elementary, West Rocks Middle School, and Norwalk High School.
I want to thank Harry Rilling for transforming Norwalk from a city that was struggling financially and unable to support our schools, with a focus on big-box development and rife with cronyism and back-door handshakes, to an exciting growing city that supports small businesses, transit-oriented development, and walkability, and for bringing professionalism to City Hall.”