Joel Cruz, Jr. walks into Mozzicato’s on a Monday afternoon, immediately greeting waitstaff in a way that suggests this is not his first time here. He apologizes to me for being late by four minutes; it’s early rush hour, when being late by four minutes is the equivalent of arriving early. He orders a water, and when pressed, a giant slice of cake. He never takes his phone out once.

Why did you select this moment to run?

Cruz’s philosophies are heavily influenced by his eight years serving in the Marines. As he was called to serve the country, he says, he feels similarly called to serve residents on the city of Hartford.

“There’s no glamor in it,” this business of running for and serving as mayor.

Instead, he views it as a kind of “sacrifice.”

There are some who might say he does not have enough experience, but Cruz says “nobody has enough experience to be a mayor,” which is why, he believes, “you need a team.”

He is not the first candidate to allude to that absence of teamwork in City government, or to the perennial disconnect between City Hall and the neighborhoods outside of Downtown or the West End.

Right now, we should “concentrate on the small things” because that is what people want. Residents want the litter off their streets. They want trash collected on time.

Cruz is also not the first to hint that the current mayor is too concerned with being popular.

Criticism, Cruz learned through his experience with the Marines, is not something to take personally. While serving on City Council, he acknowledges that people can unleash a lot of anger, but he says he tries to empathize: “I believe in the power of respect.”

What do you expect to accomplish in the first year, if elected?

After the requisite house cleaning, Cruz wants to turn his attention to Board of Education appointments. The majority of these, he believes, should be parents with school-age children.

Although the current mayor sits on the Board of Education, Cruz has no intention of doing that. He believes he would already have enough to do and  that after making his appointments, he should be able to “trust” that board members are “going to do their jobs.”

Cruz would also like to “bring some unity” between the municipality and State reps.

With his experience on the City Council, he has some insight into the current relationship: “Right now we go to them last minute, begging them.” The legislative packet, he said, comes from the Mayor’s Office with no input from Council or the Hartford delegation.

How would you address transparency with the media and the general public?

“It feels so good to run as an independent,” Cruz began.

With this run, “I’m running for the people.”

This is different from how he sees it playing out for those campaigning with a political party. He believes that in the typical scenario, the elected official ends up owing everyone favors for getting that seat at the table.

“I don’t want to owe anyone anything in there,” he said, explaining that this should be about serving constituents.

Coming in without owing favors means there is more ability to be honest, he said.

Currently, “Hartford hides everything so we never know how to deal with it.” Cruz suggested the need to own up, the good with the bad, so that problems could start to get addressed.

Do you support the stadium — yes or no?

Cruz is on record as having voted for the stadium. His reasons, he says, had more to do with creating a venue for family entertainment, than with economic development.

What steps will you take to ensure that the north neighborhoods do not become further geographically isolated by infrastructure like the stadium?

The owner of the Rock Cats, Cruz believes, is “very receptive to cultural diversity.” They have held themed nights, like during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Cruz spoke of the communities throughout the city — West Indian, Hispanic, Bosnian, and so forth. “Downtown should be more like a hub” for celebrating this diversity, he said. It should be a “melting pot.”

How would you respond if it is discovered that there were illegal actions involved in the City’s stadium deal?

“When we make a mistake, we never admit a mistake was made,” Cruz said. If it should come to light that some part of the stadium deal involved illegal practices, Cruz said “I’ll be the first to admit” there was a problem.

How do you envision bolstering economic development for the neighborhoods?

“The Mayor’s Office has such a strong voice,” Cruz said, but currently, “we don’t utilize it enough.”

There is a need to “bring City Hall to the people” rather than the inverse.

If one spends enough time in the neighborhoods, it becomes obvious what is needed there. Get boots on the ground. Get young people involved, he said.

Cruz himself grew up in Hartford, having attended Barnard Brown (the building now housing Capital Prep), McDonough, Kennelly, and then Hartford High. For some time, he lived in one of the north neighborhoods. Now, he and his family live in the South West neighborhood. He works on Park Street.

What experience do you have in managing departments and what is your own management philosophy? 

While serving in the Marines, he says he supervised upwards of 250 individuals. In this case, management decisions translated into being accountable for the lives of others.

During his nearly ten years of employment with Charter Oak Health Center, Cruz served as manager of the medical records division. Currently, he is the Family Center director with Catholic Charities.

Management, he said, requires “collaboration.”

What do you know about budgeting?

Besides having already grappled with budgets while serving on City Council, Cruz has had some experience in this with his church and various boards he has served on.

Where do your children attend school?

One child attends Classical Magnet; the other attends Hartford Pre-K Magnet School.

How will you work to promote sustainable methods of transportation?

Hartford could look into bicycle rental programs. Additionally, the bus shelters could use attention, from basic repairs to making them more attractive. Cruz noted that West Hartford has had many of its bus shelters artistically painted. Hartford could do something similar, having young people create shelters with a street art style. This could deter tagging while making shelters more inviting, similar to how the electrical boxes in some south end neighborhoods have been painted to discourage graffiti.

Hartford’s dike system was deemed unacceptable in 2014, putting federal insurability at risk. What is your plan for meeting the Army Corps of Engineers’ standards for a passable dike and flood control system?

This is a conversation that the mayor should be having with the State and with the Federal government. Because of the situation of neglect, should flooding occur, Hartford “couldn’t even declare a state of emergency.”

The long overdue repairs have recently received attention from some of the mainstream media, but the issue goes back, with the City of Hartford acknowledging the FEMA-mandated dike rehabilitation several years ago.