Mark Boughton

Well it’s that time of year again. My annual holiday shout out to all things great and small in the City of Danbury.

Special thanks to our city department heads and staff who work hard to maintain our quality of life in Danbury.

To all of our state legislators, local elected officials and our volunteers that serve on our boards and commissions, thank you for your care and concern about our city.

Thanks to the News-Times staff, led by Art Cummings, my twitter pals Jacky Smith and Brian Koonz as well as all of the wonderful reporters, Dirk Perrefort, Pirro (it’s just “Pirro”), Karen Ali, Eileen Fitzgerald, Keith Whammond (the techie guy), Melissa Bruen, Dan Cohen, Bob Miller, Sue Tuz, and the rest of the team.

Here’s to keeping Danbury’s paper around for another year..

Then there’s the radio stations- WLAD/98Q, Irv (you thought I forgot ya didn’t ya?), Debbie, Jillian (I promise to call you back in 2010), and of course Bart! Pudgie,  Dave Rinelli and the whole team.

Let’s not forget I-95/Y105, Ethan, Lou, Pam Brooks, Mr. Morning (How ya like them sewers?), and the team in Brookfield.

Let’s hope you all have a great year.

To Wayne Shepperd, glad you retired aren’t you?

To our Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sal, and the Board of Ed.-  great year, thanks for your dedication.

Here are some holiday wishes for our city and it’s residents: a stable state budget that we can count on, public ownership of the Transfer Station, no snow so we can save money on our snow budget (we have had enough, don’t you think?-the novelty has worn off), economic development galore,  and..

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs…

Phyllis and I would like to thank the residents of Danbury for all of your support 2009. It has been a hard year, both professionally and personally (you reading this Dad? I love you-get better), but your kindness, faith, and compassion have helped us through many a rough day.

We have some decisions to make over the holidays, so stay tuned..

PS. Special thanks to Colonial Ford for providing a new car to the George family after they lost everything in a fire several weeks ago. That is the true spirit of the holiday season.

State of the City 2009

Dec. 18, 2009

Thank you and I would like to thank each of you for being here today.

Congratulations to Frank Kelly and to the Danbury Hospital.

What an outstanding and wonderful organization.

Danbury Hospital has become a national leader in many areas of medicine. The facility has become an anchor of care and compassion for our residents.

A major employer in our city, Danbury Hospital is poised for growth and poised to provide even more services to our residents, we are lucky to have such a terrific health care provider in the City of Danbury.

I am blessed and honored to serve with outstanding elected officials who put the city first in their work and their deliberations.

Special thanks to Fran Wiatr and to Steve Bull for all of their hard work on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce-it is an honor to work with them on behalf of our business community.

What a difference a year makes….

While the events of the fall of 2008 and the subsequent crash of the stock market and the collapse of the housing market have changed the economic landscape forever.. Our city, the place that we all call home, has withstood some of the fiercest economic head winds since the Great Depression.

It’s rough out there, as the Chamber of Commerce; I know that you are well aware of the many difficulties that our economy faces.

As mayor I see it in the collapse of our revenues- things like building permit fees, real estate conveyance fees, and inactivity in the commercial real estate market.

I see it in a state budget that is close to collapse, and could take municipalities across the state down with it.

I see it in the desperate eyes of those who are the least among us, the homeless, and the downtrodden- who are just looking for hope.

I see it in the people who wait in my office scared that they may lose their homes, or have just lost their job and want advice and shoulder to lean on.

I see it in the eyes of our children who listen to their parents talk in quiet conversations late in the evening about their fears of losing their job or their home.

Yes, it’s rough out there.

I mention these things not because I want to depress you around the holidays, but because I want you know that this is one politician who gets it.

I understand that you, the private sector, are really the answer to many of our financial problems, yet in the current economic environment, too often our state and federal governments have treated you like the enemy, instead of our partner-that thinking must end.

So as I embark today on a brief description of the state of our city, I wanted you to understand the context in which I make my presentation.

First and foremost, Danbury continues to manage the economic crisis by practicing disciplined spending and strong internal financial controls.

I have frozen almost all accounts except, public safety and public works.

I have deferred all hiring unless; there is a critical need or an overtime impact to our budget.

I have banned all out of state travel, unless travel is paid for by an outside agency.

I have stepped up our tax collection efforts throughout the city.

I have worked cooperatively with our unions to reduce cost and eliminate the need for layoffs.

I have begun the civilianization of our police department to reduce administrative expenses.

With exception of bonding authorized by our City Charter, I will not be bringing forward any bond requests to voters for the foreseeable future.

Last year, we finished the fiscal year some 5 million dollars under budget, and I intend to do the same this year.

Our credit rating and our bond rating remain at an all time high, and amazingly the City of Danbury can borrow money at a lower interest than the State of Connecticut.

Unemployment has trended higher, but we are still the leader in the state and much of the country when comes to employment opportunities. Just yesterday we learned that Danbury’s unemployment rate dropped to 6.7% -once again the lowest in the State of Connecticut.

In May of 2009 we cut the ribbon on our new Police Station and for the second straight year, our crime rate is the lowest in the state and one of the lowest in the country-congratulations are in order to Chief Baker and his staff.

Danbury was recently rated by Connecticut Magazine as one of the top cities to live in- improving in every category measured in the study.

Our taxes are low, and our sewer and water rates remain the lowest in the state.

Our City Charter has been rewritten and adopted by our voters, and now our city constitution reflects the needs of a 21^st century community with an updated and modernized organizational chart.

We have successfully tapped into the spirit and the skills of our seniors who have participated in our SAVE program and have earned a much needed property tax credit for their volunteerism.

In the fall of 2009 we opened Ellsworth Avenue Elementary School and completed dozens of drainage and road improvement projects across the city.

The Main Street Renaissance Task Force is completing its work and will issue its report sometime in the late spring.

Our Fire Department has begun the planning for merging and streamlining our Volunteer Fire Departments to become more efficient.

We have added a new multi-purpose field in Rogers Park for use by our athletic leagues.

The Connecticut Film Festival will be back for its third year, and yes, the Palace Theater is open for business..

Indeed it has been a busy year for your city government.

Last year, I discussed the need for us to develop alternative revenue streams to help ease the burden on our taxpayers. Specifically, I mentioned that the city will move forward with acquisition of the White Street Transfer Station through the newly created Danbury Solid Waste Authority- to turn our trash into cash.

After all, public ownership of the Transfer Station ensures that there will be a fair and level playing field for all haulers in the region. It ensures that there will be transparency of the operations, and that the public good will be served.

The City has met with the US Attorney’s Office as well as the US Marshalls over the past year and we have been encouraged by those discussions.

We have engaged in a strategic partnership with Hudson-Baylor a national leader in solid waste management to pursue the acquisition of the facility.

If successful, Hudson-Baylor will acquire all of the assets in the auction and then sell the Transfer Station to the Danbury Solid Waste Authority.

This public-private partnership will minimize the risk of acquisition for our taxpayers and leverage the knowledge and the finances of a national firm in acquiring the site.

Due to the complexity and nature of the auction process, the discussions and negotiations are ongoing, and I anticipate a final resolution sometime in the late spring.

We also look forward to a number of projects in Danbury to provide jobs and economic development opportunities.

Just yesterday, the Barden Corporation hosted a job fair- they are hiring.

In the coming year, I know of two large organizations that are planning for significant hiring.

The City is currently completing negotiations on the transfer of 13 acres adjacent to the Reserve that will be developed into a life style center. A 400 seat independent Film Theater, a 5,000 square foot production facility designed to be flexible space for lease by the film industry and several retail facilities will be located on this parcel.

I anticipate the final transfer will take place in the early summer of 010’.

We have also begun discussions of the old police department and the adjacent parcels that the city owns around it.

We have strong interest in developing commercial space integrated with senior housing on the site.

We have asked the architectural design of these new buildings emulate the new police station and the old jail.

In both cases, the city will leverage the dollars from the sale of these properties to offset the decline in revenue and potential cuts in state aid.

Within the next several months we will be rolling out our new city website called Danbury 2.0. Our new website will be more interactive for our residents and will take advantage of social media such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with our residents in real time.

In addition, our new website will specifically highlight economic development opportunities in our city.

Of course, the most challenging task we will have in the coming year will be developing our city budget. Both the city and our schools will be under significant financial pressure this year and for several years to come as we work our way through the current financial crisis.

My office and the City Council will work hard to provide the best services possible given the challenging economic climate.  As always, we will make the tough decisions, with an eye on the bottom line.

Recently, I served on a Task Force appointed by Governor Rell. Our charge was to recommend cuts in state aid for cities and towns and make recommendations to the Legislature on costly unfunded state mandates.

It became clear in the process that there is no more room to cut municipal budgets. Remember, we can’t print money in the basement of City Hall, and we cannot run deficits. I have managed 8 straight balanced budgets- including this year.

The City of Danbury, and the cities and towns that surround us, are cut to the bone.

I will once again appeal to Legislature to give municipalities flexibility in revenue generation, incentivize us to work regionally, and to redefine the relationship that exists between the state government and local government.

You will be happy to know, pursuant to Connecticut law, that we are making preparations to begin the next state mandated reevaluation in the spring of 010’.

This is an example of an unfunded mandate that will cost the city approximately 1.2 million dollars. It’s a classic example of spending money when you don’t have to. If we conduct a statistical reevaluation and made the adjustments in real estate values reflecting the current market, it will only cost $400,000.

I will also be asking the Legislature for more flexibility in the reevaluation process.

The new property valuations will be used for the Oct 1^st 2012 grand list and will accurately reflect current market conditions.

While I have laid out a full laundry list of projects that we will work on in the coming year, I am most proud of our continuing work in the area of homelessness.

The measure of our community, and the measure of my administration, should be how we care for the least among us.

The completion of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness was a milestone for my administration- we were one of the first cities in the state to develop one, the designation of the Danbury Housing Partnership as the lead agency in its implementation and the organization of our Dream Homes Center was an important step in its creation, and just last month we took a giant leap in bringing housing units online by cutting the ribbon on our first Veterans House for our homeless veterans.

There were a lot of strategic partners in the creation of the first bricks and mortar effort in addressing homelessness under the 10 Year Plan. The Housing Authority, Paul Valeri, State Senator Mike McLachlan, the list goes on and on. But the point is that we have moved beyond talk, and have started see real results from our plan by putting people in housing, and in the process restoring their dignity.

We have also had strong input and participation from our faith based partners in attacking the problem of homelessness, most notably from the Jericho Partnership, and Christian Communities Outreach Ministries, among many others.

One week ago today, we once again helped bring together Project Homeless Connect, a one day fair at Western Connecticut State University for our homeless population that connected people in need of services with all of our strategic partners.

I wish you were there to see this community work.

More than one person was deeply moved and brought to tears by the care and compassion shown at this event.

More than one client said to me that they thought no one cared about them-that they were forgotten of our community.

Yes, Danbury takes care of those in need.

It’s something we all should be proud of.

In this holiday season, we have a lot to be thankful for: A first class University with strengthening bonds with the city-including a new communiversity initiative, one of the best hospitals in the country with a dedicated and caring staff, a terrific Housing Authority, a superior quality of life, low crime rates that are the envy of the country, a vibrant business community, and we are becoming a leader in cultural and arts activities in the region.

We have a terrific Police Department and an outstanding Fire Department.

We have a great school system-just this week we received word that four Danbury High school seniors, all in the same family, received early admission to Yale University.

I am proud of Danbury.

Being the Mayor of this city has been, and will continue to be, the highest honor for me.

This is the city I grew up in, laughed in, cried in, and have lived my life in.

It is a place that you can meet people from all over the world, know them by name and share the joys of life with them- as one community, united in values and ideals that are uniquely American.

While Danbury is challenged in this time of the Great Recession, I know that the strength of our community resides within each of us.

So during this holiday season, enjoy your family, your friends, and our community.

I am particularly blessed to be with a life partner who also cares as much about our city as I do. My wife Phyllis. She has become a terrific advocate in her own right, and has worked to make a difference in our community.

This is a great city, in a wonderful state, in the greatest country in the world.

Feel good about America.

Yes, we have so much to be thankful for.

As we enter a new decade, may God hold our city in the palm of his hand.

May God bless you and your family.

And May God Bless America.

Thank you.

Recently I was asked by Governor Rell to serve on a municipal mandate relief commission to help with the growing budget crisis in Hartford. Our charge was to develop a list of unfunded mandates that are passed along to cities and towns by the state and present them to the Legislature for suspension or elimination in the special session that will take place tomorrow.

We were also asked to make recommendations as to where the proposed 84 million dollars in municipal cuts were to come from.

Serving on the task force was an honor, but it illustrates what a difficult and challenging problem the state has.

Here is a news flash…the State of Connecticut is broke. Busted. Cleaned out.

Here is another news flash…it is not going to get any better anytime soon.

It is time that we all recognize that we have entered a new economic era, and that we seize this moment to redefine the role of state government, examine the nexus between the state and the municipalities, and look at the services that we should offer, and most importantly, how we fund them.

Property tax reform has to be the first and foremost item on an agenda of reform. It is an unfair tax because it does not measure the ability of the property owner to pay. Many people in Danbury and across Connecticut are land rich and yet cash poor.

We must develop new funding strategies that reflect our new service priorities and relieve the pressure on the property taxpayer. We also must encourage collaboration and cooperation among cities and towns on the delivery of key services.

Finally, we have to reexamine our economic development strategy in Connecticut. Connecticut is one of the most unfriendly places to do business in the United States.

We need a single point of entry for companies wanting to relocate or expand their business in Connecticut. We need to emphasize that business can be our strategic partner, not our enemy.

We are competing in a global economy, not just a regional or national economy. Connecticut has many attributes that make it attractive for start-ups as well as established businesses. We should  capitalize on those attributes and foster the idea that we are pro-business state- not just a pro-jobs state.

Municipal mandates and further cuts to state services are one strategy that is being used to address the state budget crisis. But there is an opportunity to set a new direction for our state- a direction that will encompass the promise and the potential that is Connecticut. Let’s hope the Legislature gets it.

Have you noticed anything different in Danbury lately? In case you missed it, we are operating under a new Charter since midnight of Dec. 3rd.

What’s a charter? A charter is the basis of our local government. It determines the rules that we operate under, and it determines the organizational structure of the City of Danbury.

So what is different under the new charter? Some of the changes that the new document makes are relatively benign, for example, it changes the title of the Personnel Dept. to Human Resources Dept. the Common Council is now the City Council.

Other changes are somewhat more far reaching, the new charter changes the way we develop our capital improvement plan, as well as changes the amount the city can borrow in year to fund those improvements and repairs.

Over the next several months, you will see subtle changes in the way that we conduct business. Since funding is tight, we will exhaust our old supplies of things like letter head and business cards, and then as we run out of those items, reorder the items with new titles.

Danbury continues to evolve and change, it is part of the life of a city. While many of these changes are somewhat mundane, they provide for a more efficient government for our residents and a charter that reflects a 21st century community.

Happy Thanksgiving! These are difficult and challenging times, but, together, we will see our community to better days.

I am thankful for your vote of confidence this month.

I am also thankful to the men and women of our military who are overseas defending the cause of liberty.

God bless you and God bless America!

The recent decision by the Obama administration to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other accused masterminds of the 9-11 attacks  in New York City is a mistake and should be reevaluated by the Justice Department.

Mohammed, or “KSM”, as the press refers to him, is by his own admission, one of the masterminds of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the hijackings that occurred on 9-11.

Mohammed freely admits that he played a major role in planning and coordinating the 9-11 attacks. There is no question of guilt to be determined at this trial.

So why have a trial? Because there are two views of the people who committed the 9-11 attacks. The Bush administration believed that the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were an act of war and that people involved in the attacks were enemy combatants, and therefore should be treated as such. The Obama administration has vowed to treat the perpetrators and their actions as criminal in nature and therefore the accused should be given all of the rights and privileges to someone accused of a crime specified in our system of law.

Having a trial in New York will not accomplish anything except tear wounds that we have tried to heal since 9-11. Families and communities that have tried to move on since the loss of their loved ones- husbands, wives,  sons and daughters, will be reminded of that tragic day.

The unrepentant perpetrators of the attacks will be given the opportunity to shout anti-American slogans day after day in court (several have requested to serve as their own lawyer) and be placed on a world stage to spout their extremist views-encouraging more violence and terrorists acts in the United States.

Criminal trials can sometimes take years.  Enterprising defense lawyers seeking to delay punishment will tie up the court with motions, filings, subpoenas, and all types of stalling tactics.

Think of the message a criminal trial sends: commit a terrorist act and get a show trial in New York City, the media center of the world, where you can shout from the roof tops your hatred of the United States and spread your propaganda.

Here in Danbury, and in the New York metropolitan area, we are particularly sensitive to the impact of 9-11. Some of our neighbors perished that day, and many of us know some one who has been touched by the tragedy of the attacks.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his colleagues deserve one fate-to stand in front of a military tribunal, and since they freely admit to their role in the attacks,  accept the punishment that is due them.

No show trial, no motions and appeals, no tv cameras and no court circus.

Swift and speedy military justice.

After all, that is what this country owes the 3000 plus victims of 9-11.

Ladies and gentlemen, veterans of all ages,  as Mayor of the City of Danbury it is once again my privilege and honor to attend our annual Veterans Day service.

President Woodrow Wilson initially designated today, November 11, as a day to remember and honor the veterans of World War I. Later this date was set aside to honor all veterans, past and present as a day of remembrance and a day to say thanks to those who served our country.

That is why we meet here today, at this time, the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of November.

The United States has been described as a “grand experiment”.  That is true. Our founding fathers shaped our government by intense and often heated discussions, the world was not quite sure of what to make of our nation.

The people who came together in Philadelphia in 1776, argued and debated how this new country should be shaped. In doing so, they set forth new ideals, new beliefs, and new values.

These were new ideas about freedom, liberty, and justice that were hatched with the birth of our new nation. They were cutting edge for their time and they were extraordinary in their scope.

Over a period of time, through self examination and the evolution of thought, new ideals about equality and the rights of men and women were added to become part of our value system.

Why do I mention this? Because the United States of America is the first country to base its foundation on ideals instead of a common ethnicity.

And for centuries, people of this great nation from all walks of life, from all races and religions, have been willing to fight for those ideals united in purpose. They fought for our way of life- instead of conquest, ethnic cleansing, or economic gain.

People of our community have left our great city and have fought for, and died for a belief system, a set of values, that are uniquely American.

That is why we assemble here today. To say thank you to the veterans of our city whose service dates from the Revolutionary war to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We are here today to remember those who served and those who helped to protect our unique American value system.

This is what makes our country such a special place.

This is what makes Veterans Day such an important day.

This is also why organizations like the Danbury Veterans Council are so important. They are the keepers of the torch of our democracy. They protect the ideals that our country has been built on.

That is why the civic education of our young people is also so important. The youth of America must understand our ideals and understand that our common value system are the ties that bind the people of this country together.

America means something different to each of us.

For hundreds of years scholars have tried to define what it means to be an American. People like Alexis de Tocqueville to Peter Jennings have traveled all over this great land to try and understand who we are.

While it has been interesting to read, many scholars and pundits have been unable to describe the feeling and the essence of being an American.

However, there is one group of people who know what our country is about and there is one group of people who were willing to fight and die for America- our veterans.

Our veterans don’t need a textbook to understand the ideas of liberty, freedom, equality, justice and democracy- these ideals are part of their spirit.

We come here to honor all of those veterans who were willing to serve and defend the ideals and values of America.

We honor a majestic and noble commitment that our veterans have made to the fundamental value system of our country.

On this Veterans Day, let us reflect on the ideals that Danbury’s veterans fought for.

Let us remember and appreciate the sacrifices of our sons and daughters.

Let us encourage our faith in one another to support those who are far, far away defending the cause of liberty.

Let us understand that our unique American values will see our city and our country through good times and through difficult times.

Indeed, let us tap into the power of our faith in the American system to make our community a better place.

Each Danbury veteran did their solemn duty and it was their belief in the ideals of freedom, and in our way of life that gave them courage to defend our liberty.

As Mayor of the City of Danbury I salute you.  I am humbled, honored and thankful for your service to America, for your belief in our city, for your faith in family, and for your faith in the ideals of the foundation of the greatest country on earth-the United States of America.

To Danbury’s veterans, may God’s grace continue to shine upon your lives. On behalf of the City of Danbury, I thank you for your courage, your passion, and your belief in our nation.

God Bless America, and God Bless the great City of Danbury.

Thank You-

Got some good news yesterday. It seems that the November issue of Connecticut Magazine is out with their rankings of best places to live for communities with populations over 50,000.

Danbury has moved from number 10 in the last ranking done in 2006, to number 6 in the most recent ranking!

In fact, we beat other communities like Hamden, Manchester, Bristol, and Norwalk for our quality of life.

The study looked at factors such as education, crime, economy, leisure, and cost. Danbury moved up in all 5 categories!

Good job by our collective community. Just another indication that we have things moving in the right direction!