Election 2023: Steve Karl Announces Candidacy for Selectman [Q&A]

Steve Karl, a four-term Town Council incumbent who has served as the legislative body’s chair since 2021, on Monday announced his candidacy for selectman. He will seek the backing of New Canaan Republicans at the party’s caucus on July 25.

We put some questions to Karl. Here’s our exchange.

New Canaanite: What is your background professionally and in terms of living and volunteering in New Canaan? 

Steve Karl: I am a lifelong resident of New Canaan and fifth generation to live in New Canaan. I was extremely fortunate to grow up in such a welcoming, friendly and safe town. I attended East school for kindergarten then onto St. Aloysius and New Canaan High School, where I graduated in the Class of 1980. As a baby boomer, each of my classes were at full capacity including the days at NCHS where the student body exceeded 1600, which resulted in a very active campus! I attended Sacred Heart University where I earned a BA in Business Management/Marketing. While in college I worked at our family business while remaining heavily involved in Student Government, campus fundraising, and was elected President of my Senior Class. 

My career in the family automotive and real estate business has been a place for constant learning and personal improvement. I have undergone extensive training through GM Corporate on a wide variety of areas including consumer, employee and legal. Being part of an ownership team of a retail establishment comes with many challenges, but it has taught me invaluable lessons in dealing with the public on a daily basis in every situation imaginable. (I have been tempted to write a book more than once on the subject!) Good customer service is paramount to success, and the same holds true for our residents when interacting with Town Hall.

I married my high school sweetheart and classmate Tracey Lee Geist and we purchased our first home in New Canaan in 1989. We raised four boys who all attended South School, Saxe and NCHS. Working locally, I had the ability to coach all of them at times along the way including Baseball, Soccer, Football and Lacrosse. Hands down the most fun years of our lives. Our family has a generational tradition of being involved in Scouting that goes back a long way. As a result, I obtained the rank of Eagle Scout and have strived to stay connected with scouting in a variety of meaningful ways. 

Pride and civic involvement in the community have always been cornerstones of our family. In our generation, my wife, my sister Sara, my cousin Ed, brother Leo and I have all been involved in many different non-profit causes, boards, and committees over the years. My father served on the Health and Human Services Commission in New Canaan for over 50 years. And then before him, dating all the way back to my great grandfather Henry Kelley who served on the BOE for 23 years and his brother Charles Kelley who served as First Selectman 16 years in town. In addition, my great aunt Mary Kelley served as the only teacher at the Little Red Schoolhouse for its final 57 years, ending in 1958. Their legacy is inspiring, and we were always taught that giving back and volunteering is what made our town such an amazing place.  

Some quick personal involvement: 

• Town Council
  • 2007 – 2023 (Elected to 4 Four-year Terms) 
  • Vice Chair 2009 -2021 
  • Chair 2021-2023 
  • Ordinances and By-Laws Chair – 2009 -2021 
  • Committees: Park & Recreation, Public Safety, Education, General Government, Public Works, Infrastructure and Utilities.  
• New Canaan Library
  • Building Committee 2020- Present 
  • Board Of Trustees 2002-2009 (Treasurer 2007-2009) 
• Republican Town Committee  
  • Active 1997 – Present 
  • Board Member 2001 – 2007 (Treasurer 2006-2009) 
• Parking Commission (2001 – 2007) 
• ABC Host Family (2010 – 2014) 
• NCHS All Sport Booster Club (2008-2014) Vice-President and Sponsor Chair 

Why are you running for Selectman? 

I am running for Selectman to continue to serve the community that I have loved and lived in my entire life. I would like the opportunity to give back in a meaningful and impactful way and contribute to the important decision-making New Canaan is facing over the next couple of years. I have served on the legislative side of Town government for 16 years and the experience has given me a valuable perspective for the way our municipality works. I also feel that stability, transparency, and collaboration are essential when serving in this position. I am hopeful I can fill some of the breadth and depth of experience that Nick Williams demonstrated over his extremely successful 12 years as Selectman. He was a tremendous leader serving two administrations from beginning to end. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with and learning from Kathleen Corbet who I will always look up to and hold in the highest regard. Our community is a much better place having these two citizens step up to serve and I hope I will be able to continue the work and effort they have put forth in their positions. They are both living examples of successfully reaching across the aisle to build consensus, analyze the issues, and find common ground. It is clear that after their successful terms, they both agreed that it is time for a reset, fresh perspectives, new ideas, and a clean new slate and I am asking to be a part of our Town’s next chapter. I hope New Canaan voters will consider supporting me for Selectman and come out to the polls in July at the Caucus and at the general election in November. 

What do you view as the biggest issues facing New Canaan?  

Our town is an amazing and resilient place. Over the past few decades, we have faced many unforeseen challenges and issues and have met them head on. Market crashes in both the stock market and local real estate, the horrific realities of 9/11, hurricanes, blizzards, a bulging school population, aging infrastructure, stifling state mandates, and even a pandemic. Our community has been built on volunteerism and when something challenging happens here, we rally together and help each other better than any other town in the country. There is no problem or issue we have to face that we can’t overcome. Currently we have several issues we are confronting and resolutions will come as the work is put in. 

We need to continue to analyze, study, and figure out our affordable housing situation to provide workforce, senior, and other housing. Our newly established Affordable Housing Committee is set to get to work over the next few months and I am confident this group will have a surprisingly positive impact on the problem. For the first time, all stakeholders from the different branches of our government will be in the same room to plan and implement strategic initiatives on this topic. In addition, our cell service continues to be an issue and I expect that our newly re-established Utilities Commission will come up with answers that will not only address the issues, but their actions will resonate with our residents as a result of their transparency and frequency of public meetings. We also need to complete some major infrastructure projects including the new Police Station, NC Playhouse, the NC Powerhouse Theatre and in conjunction with the Library, the new Green and 1913 Legacy Building.  In addition, our roads and sidewalks have always been a priority for me, and we need to continue to finish and restore our most traveled roads, especially in the Downtown Business District. We spend a great deal of our lives on these thoroughfares and it is vital that they are in good shape as they are a direct reflection of our local government. Finally, it is no secret that our Town’s lifeblood and single largest employer is the New Canaan Public Schools. Our collective school success is vital to our local economy, and our businesses and real estate market depend upon it. While not a direct responsibility of the BOS, I will assist and support in this area as needed. 

How would you describe your management style? 

I have always tried to be fair, straightforward and collaborative. Listening to others and respecting a diverse number of opinions is essential to all roles in government. I have learned that patience and tolerance are also key attributes when holding office. I believe that the role of Selectman is to support, advise, and help guide the First Selectman as he/she performs the duties of the office, all while keeping the community’s best interests in mind. In addition, the role of Selectman also serves as a check and balance to ensure the First Selectman is providing the residents with the best possible outcome to issues in the most open, civil and transparent way available. I feel that we are truly blessed that New Canaan is full of incredibly talented, successful, and motivated individuals who bring an unlimited array of skill sets to the table that can serve as invaluable resources. As a leader, it is my job to listen and surround myself with individuals who make our community better every single day. Those who know me understand that I have no patience for partisan politics at the local level. Differences of opinion will always happen in government and in life, but it is the way we handle them that speaks the most about our individual character. I have a saying that many have heard me repeat over and over again… “This is New Canaan not Washington DC.” We need to be better than that, and we always need to set the bar high, because that is who we are. We are all neighbors working together to make our community the best it can possibly be to live, work and play. 

Tell us something about yourself that many New Canaanites don’t know.

Like many New Canaanites I love (and need) to stay active. Skiing, golf, paddle sports, hiking and gardening are all high on my enjoyment list. But occasionally I still get the itch for a little something extra that moves the adrenaline needle a little more. Some examples would be surfing in Hawaii, shark diving, driving fast cars (on the track of course!), ziplining, whitewater rafting, and bungee jumping of a bridge at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe (once was enough!). But I always think that the best part of travel and seeking adventure, is the fact that it always leads back home to New Canaan and that first drive through town and up Elm Street, that will always be my biggest thrill!