Orange first-select race centers on taxes, economic development and Fred Wolf Park

At a crowded Amity Chamber of Commerce forum streamed from the University of New Haven, incumbent First Selectman Jim Zoli and challenger Dan Fitzforce presented competing plans Tuesday evening for how Orange should grow its commercial tax base, protect the town’s AAA bond rating and invest in community amenities.

Dan Fitzforce, the director of advocacy at the United Way of Connecticut and a longtime nonprofit executive, framed his candidacy around stabilizing homeowners’ property taxes while improving services. “Less talk, more do,” Fitzforce told the audience, repeating the campaign slogan on signs he said many residents have seen.

Fitzforce proposed three immediate steps if elected: create a municipal economic development department (starting with one position), launch “Orange Connect,” a 311-style online portal to track town service requests, and use limited bonding plus aggressive grant-seeking to begin phased renovations at Fred Wolf Park. He argued an active economic-development office — and better grant capture — would increase commercial tax revenue and reduce pressure on homeowners. “We are leaving money on the table,” Fitzforce said, adding that about “21% of households in our community are only living paycheck to paycheck,” a statistic he used to underscore affordability concerns.

Zoli, the town’s first selectman and a long-serving local official who touted years of municipal and volunteer experience, pushed back on some of Fitzforce’s characterizations. He listed recent projects he said he helped shepherd into town — including a Noble Gas redevelopment near exit 41, a self-storage conversion on Selemmy Lane and the relocation/expansion of Aurora Products — and emphasized that Orange has active economic development work and regular presubmission meetings with department heads to vet proposals. Zoli also disputed suggestions that vacancy rates on the Post Road are dramatically high and defended the town’s use of grants and refinancing to fund projects.

On town finances, both candidates said protecting Orange’s AAA bond rating is a priority. Fitzforce said he would use the rating to issue a modest bond for park improvements and pursue outside grant dollars so residents would not face higher property taxes; he described the town’s budget as about $86 million and said any new spending he proposed would represent a small fraction of that total. Zoli countered by emphasizing engineering and environmental constraints at some park sites — including wetlands and detention-basin considerations — and reiterated the town’s recent record winning state and federal grants for things such as playgrounds and road work.

Fred Wolf Park drew sharp attention. Zoli described past plans, engineering limits and the need for careful studies before major construction in wetland-adjacent areas. Fitzforce said the town should advance the park in phased, shovel-ready steps and use state funding for components such as parking, trails and new fields; he recommended prioritizing elements likely to attract grant support and community use.

The candidates diverged on operational modernization. Fitzforce advocated a single online portal so residents and businesses could track requests and avoid being bounced among departments; he also urged translating town materials into more languages, citing a growing Asian population. Zoli said the town already uses permitting and intake systems (he referenced Viewpoint for permits) and questioned creating new processes that would require additional staffing.

Both candidates stressed the importance of public engagement and maintaining Orange’s community character. Fitzforce described a vision of pairing smart commercial growth on Post Road and Edison Road with protections for neighborhoods; Zoli argued that available buildable parcels are limited and that many recent projects were the product of long negotiations and targeted infrastructure work.

The forum concluded with closing statements in which Fitzforce reiterated his commitments to fiscal stewardship tied to economic growth, and Zoli emphasized continuity, volunteerism and his record of local service. The candidates did not take formal questions from the audience beyond the preselected and submitted items, and no town-level votes or formal actions were taken at the event.

Next steps: the candidates will continue campaigning ahead of the election; the chamber said the debate recording will remain available on the host’s YouTube channel for those who missed the event.