A group of 17 government officials from South Korean visited West Hartford on Wednesday as part of a tour of the Northeast.

A delegation of government officials visited West Hartford on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

By Ronni Newton

A delegation of government officials from South Korea met with Mayor Shari Cantor, Town Manager Rick Ledwith, and Town Clerk Leon Davidoff on Wednesday afternoon and engaged in a discussion about how the town’s government operates and how major events and key initiatives are managed.

West Hartford was one of the delegation’s stops – which included New York, Boston, and Yale University – on a tour that was focused on “benchmarks of success,” according to Simon Sohn, who was the interpreter for the group, many of whom lead communities of 300,000 people or more.

West Hartford was chosen as a stop on the tour in part because of the town’s designation as a “best place to live” in Connecticut for the seventh year in a row, one of the visitors said, asking Cantor why she thought the town was selected.

A delegation of government officials visited West Hartford on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

Cantor said not only is West Hartford’s town staff highly professional, but she also noted the importance of “our commitment to our schools, the value placed on public safety, the value placed on quality of life, and the investment in the community.”

There were also questions about how West Hartford elects its mayor, and Cantor explained the levels of government in the United States, and how within the state, each municipality has its own system and type of governance. There appeared to be shock that 85% of the funding of the town government comes from local property taxes.

Ledwith responded to questions about the number of town and school employees, and how many students (roughly 9,200) attend the public schools – which they though was a seemingly high percentage of the population. “When you’re the ‘place to live’ in Connecticut …  you attract a lot of families,” Ledwith said.

A delegation of government officials visited West Hartford on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

A member of the delegation also asked whether West Hartford holds any town festivals, and Ledwith described the upcoming Celebrate! West Hartford event on June 8 and 9, as well as other celebrations planned for the next few weeks including the Memorial Day Parade (May 17), Juneteenth (June 15), and the Pride festival (June 22). “This is a very active community, a very diverse community, a very open and welcoming community, and everyone can find a place here in West Hartford,” he said.

Delegation members were surprised that much of the organization and management of these large celebrations in town is done by volunteers – and were also surprised that West Hartford elected officials, as well as members of boards and commissions, are not paid, which is not the case with officials in South Korea.

Small gifts were exchanged between the South Korean and West Hartford government officials. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

There were also questions about major projects underway, and how decisions about those projects are made. Ledwith spoke about the current discussion underway for updating infrastructure in West Hartford Center, as well as waste management – the latter of which is something that every city and town in the state will have to address in the coming years, he said. As the elected policymakers, the Town Council will be involved in the decisions about these critical issues, he noted.

This is not the first time a delegation from South Korea has visited West Hartford. In September 2023, a group of firefighters and chiefs from the Gyeongbuk Province of South Korea met with the West Hartford Fire Department for an exchange of ideas, and in November 2022, a delegation from the Governor’s Association of South Korea came to West Hartford to learn from officials and staff about virtual net metering as part of a research trip focused on sustainability strategies.

A delegation of government officials visited West Hartford on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. Photo credit: Ronni Newton

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