Until recently, Carl Colantuono was a supporter of New Castle County Councilman John Cartier, but made an 11th hour decision to run for the 8th District seat himself.
“I helped John get the endorsement in the area. I consider him a friend,” he said. “But I found myself apologizing to people because constituent work was just not getting done.”
Colantuono said he and other residents of the Eastern Brandywine Hundred District have had growing concerns about crime, pollution and other issues that he does not believe are being adequately addressed.
A longtime civic leader and one-time president of the Council for Civic Organizations of Brandywine Hundred, Colantuono said he knows all about providing service to constituents.
“If I was pressed on getting more police up here, I’d set up a meeting with the chief of police and those with the concern,” he said. “I’d give them an idea of what was going on.”
Colantuono said his initial plan was to file on the July 25 deadline then drop out by August 1.
“My intention was to give him a wake up call, but to ultimately support John,” he said. “But then my phone started ringing off the hook with supporters.”
Colantuono also cited county finances as a reason he chose to enter the race. He said he is not convinced the county needed to raise taxes in two of the last three years or up its sewer fees.
“If times are tough and we really need the tax revenue to pay for things, that’s one thing, but I think there’s a lot more cutting that can be done,” he said. “I don’t think they’re asking the right questions at budget time.”
He said he was particularly upset about the county’s decision to invest $59 million in the construction of a sewer system below the canal when the Brandywine Hundred sewer needs upgrades. The county is spending $300 million over 20 years to upgrade the Brandywine Hundred system, but Colantuono said some of that cost is precipitated by a need to pay off interest on bonds that would not have been necessary if the $59 million was used instead.
If elected, Colantuono said he would also work to help address resident’s concerns about dust pollution many think emanates from the nearby Evraz Steel facility. He said he would use his position to put pressure on environmental officials to investigate the situation.
Colantuono, 53, lives in Radnor Woods with his wife Robin. They have two adult daughters.
