The power of incumbency is not lost on Arlene DePino or Larry Morico.
DePino, the lone Republican on the 30-member Board of Aldermen, is the incumbent, campaigning for her fourth term as alderwoman of the 18th Ward in Morris Cove. Morico, a Democrat, is a 71 year-old retired guidance counselor challenging DePino.
On Saturday, a few days before the election, Morico sat comfortably in a rocking recliner; the steady back-and-forth sway of the chair kept a metronome-like tempo to his lengthy remarks. The remnants of sun on a rainy afternoon provided the only light in Morico’s shadowy living room as he spoke of holding a monthly “Alderman’s night out” if elected. He said knows he is a long shot. He knows that DePino has three terms of service to run on.“The power of incumbency… I mean this isn’t something that is new, this has been going on in every level of government, they say for probably the last 25 years. It is a very, very difficult job to unseat an incumbent,” Morico said.Morico listed four major challenges that he would address if elected; high taxes, construction of a youth center, more police presence in the area, and new curbs and sidewalks.“Instead of just saying things need to get done,” Arlene DePino responded, Morico should “give ideas on how they could get done.”
DePino spoke of having sponsored a property tax freeze for seniors (read about that here), secured bonding to address flooding in Morris Cove, continued service on the board at the airport authority. She was the only alderman to vote against the city’s new immigrant-friendly ID cards, which she called too costly for New Haven taxpayers. (The program was funded entirely by private, not taxpayer, funds).As for Morico’s concern for lack of activities for the ward’s youth, DePino said, “We just received quarter-million dollars for lighting system on the little league fields, allowing for night games, and there are rec programs at Nathan Hale School throughout the winter and summer.”
Serving on a 30-member board with 29 Democrats, DePino said that the existence of a Republican alderwoman “keeps the two-party system alive.” Morico argued that with only one Republican out of 30, there is still no semblance of checks and balances.