Members of the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting were sworn in on Tuesday night for the new term, and one of the newest members is also one of the youngest members of the RTM.
“I’m 25 years old. I grew up in Rye Brook, N.Y. I moved to Greenwich two years ago,” said Granit Balidemaj
Granit Balidemaj interest in the town was sparked after talking with a customer at his family’s restaurant Alba’s in Port Chester.
“He was asking me if I was looking to get involved and I told him I was. One step lead to another,” said Balidemaj.
The RTM is made up of 232 people and 12 districts. The members are elected every two years, but some may not be able to complete a full term.
“They step down, and it’s up to each district to fill the vacancy that was created. Over the course of a term, probably every district fills a vacancy at some point in time,” said Ed Dadakis of District 1.
Balidemaj learned of one of these vacancies in District 10.
“I went to the District 10 meeting and I sat in on the meeting. Once they finished, I gave a little speech about myself and how I wanted to get involved. They voted there and then and I was fortunate enough to get elected,” said Balidemaj.
Now he is a member of the RTM and says he is excited to bring fresh new ideas to the table.
“It’s a new generation. It’s good for us fresh out of college with new ideas. Everyone wants to make a change and it’s good to get involved,” said Balidemaj.
First Selectman Peter Tesei was elected to the RTM when he was 18 years old and has some advice for current young members.
“Do a lot of listening. Listening is one of the best ways to learn, and also, by listening you are in a position to later lead,” said Tesei.
If you are interested in getting involved, you can check for vacancies at www.rtm.greenwich.org.
