Two unrelated quotes in today’s Advocate from Mayor Moccia. On the inauguration of Barack Obama:

But Himes, who defeated 21-year Republican incumbent Christopher Shays in November, said he isn’t limiting the invitations to Democrats.

“I don’t want this to be a purely partisan thing,” said Himes, who also invited Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia, a Republican,to the swearing-in.

Moccia said he was tempted to take the offer but couldn’t find a hotel room in Washington, D.C., and must be in Norwalk the day before the inauguration for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance.

“There’s not a hotel room to be had down there,” Moccia said. “If the stars were aligned, I would love to be there.”

Moccia said the inauguration of the first black president transcends party politics.

“It would have been an honor. He’s our president. It doesn’t make a difference whether he’s a Republican or a Democrat,” Moccia said of Obama.

And from an article in the Hour property revaluation informational sessions:

“That’s why you have the hearings to explain (the results),” said Mayor Richard A. Moccia. “One of the difficulties is that when people look at their (preliminary) notices, they’re not reading it all the way through. The mill rate is going to drop, (there’s) the appeal process and it’s preliminary.

“I told everybody, ‘Check it,’ because if they made a mistake, or you didn’t send the (appeal) form back and they have misinformation (such as) three baths instead of two,” Moccia said.

Last month, Moccia and other officials predicted that single-family homeowners would fare better than condominium and commercial property owners, based on preliminary numbers from the new revaluation. If the numbers hold and all other factors, including city spending, remain level, the average single-family homeowner will see an annual savings of $114 on his or her tax bill, according to the city’s Department of Finance.

It’s all about working together to make government work better isn’t it?

source: The Hour, Norwalk revaluation information sessions scheduled, By ROBERT KOCH, 01/03/2009

source: Advocate, New congressman met with a deluge of requests, By Neil Vigdor, 01/04/2009