East Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. Decides His Political Future

EAST HAVEN, CT — Mayor Joseph Maturo Jr. announced Monday that he will seek re-election to a ninth term of office. He filed official paperwork seeking re-election and said he is "in it to win it."

In a statement released to the media, Maturo said he's overseen a fifth consecutive budget surplus since 2011 and he just pitched a “no-tax-increase” budget recommendation for next year.

Maturo explained, “For 16 of the last 20 years, I have enjoyed the honor of both serving and leading this great community. During my tenure as Mayor, we've reduced and stabilized taxes, balanced sixteen straight budgets, and reduced the Town's long-term debt to a modern low, earning the Town an historic two-tier credit rating upgrade to “A+” from Standard and Poor‟s.

"At the same time, we've undertaken a number of public safety and infrastructure projects across Town and transformed our Police Department into a national model of both law enforcement excellence and cultural competency through a consent decree that we have satisfied both on-time and under-budget. I am seeking re-election because there is still work to be done and because I know I have the experience and vision to keep our community moving forward on the right track," Maturo added.

Records show that Maturo filed an SEEC Form 1 Monday and launched his website at www.mayormaturo.com along with Twitter and Instagram feeds, establishing a full campaign committee and forgoing the option to form an exploratory committee.

Maturo noted, “Running for Mayor and leading this community are not things you do hesitantly or on a whim. I've never once had to "explore" the possibility of running. I love this community and leading it is a privilege and an endeavor that I remain 100 percent committed to. I am in it to win it.”

Financial accomplishments

In his announcement, Maturo emphasized the Town‟s incredible financial turnaround since his return to office in November of 2011.

Maturo continued in a prepared statement, “Upon returning to office in 2011, we inherited a Town spiraling toward fiscal disaster. Between 2007 and 2011, the prior administration ran three straight deficits, driving the Town's rainy day fund into a $5.1 million dollar deficit and forcing the Town to institute a crippling 17% tax increase – the largest tax increase in the Town‟s history.

"Over that same span, bond rating agencies twice downgraded the Town‟s credit rating, which stood just above "junk bond‟ status at BBB+ in 2011. However, over the past six years, we've balanced five straight budgets and turned a $5.1 million dollar deficit into a $4.7 million dollar surplus. Recognizing and validating the Town's success, Standard and Poor‟s has twice upgraded the Town's crediting rating including an historic two-tier upgrade in 2016 to A+.‟Over the same period, we've reduced our debt by over 50% to a modern historic low.”

In noting the Town's fiscal achievements, Maturo emphasized the end-result of keeping East Haven an affordable community to live, raise a family, and conduct business.

Maturo explained, “Most importantly, in 2015, we instituted the largest tax cut in a non-revaluation year since 1989. This year, despite the State's massive budget crisis, I have proposed a "no-tax-increase‟ budget that preserves that historic tax cut for every single taxpayer in our community.”

Maturo continued in his prepared statement, “The low cost of doing business in Town, along with a concerted effort by this administration to ramp up economic development, have businesses flocking to Town. Since 2011, we've welcomed businesses like ShopRite, Hobby Lobby, Dollar Tree, Augliera Moving and Storage, Dollar General, Fair Haven Community Health Center, and Rockin' Jump to Town to complement the amazing businesses that call East Haven home. Thanks to aggressive recruitment, a friendly business climate, and our stable tax rate, we've also seen countless small businesses open up and flourish over the same span.”

Capital projects completed or planned

While emphasizing the Town's fiscal success, Maturo also took the opportunity to reflect on the extensive infrastructure and capital projects completed since he resumed office in 2011.

Maturo continued, “As a 19-year career firefighter, public safety has always been a priority for me. Under my watch, we've instituted 24/7 paramedic service, which started saving lives from the day it was implemented. In 2015, we relocated and completed a $1.1 million dollar renovation of our 911 Dispatch Center, equipping it with state-of-the-art technology to better respond to emergencies.

We completed the long-anticipated signalization project at the intersection of Short Beach Road and Mansfield Grove Road, restored our beach with almost 10,000 tons of pristine beach sand following Superstorm Sandy, and replaced the rusted fence along our shore with a beautiful stone wall which complements the surrounding neighborhood.

In the next year, we are scheduled to begin the construction of a Skate Park at the Joseph Melillo Middle School complex and install fencing around Memorial Field to protect neighboring homes from stray balls. At the same time, we have received authorization to draw down on the funds to begin both Phase 3A of downtown revitalization and to raise Coe Avenue to alleviate flooding in the area.” Maturo noted, “Perhaps most importantly, we have partnered with Boston-based WinnDevelopment to perform an historically adaptive renovation of the old high school at 200 Tyler Street that will provide over 70 units of age-restricted housing, restore the building to its original grandeur, and provide the Town with the funds to renovate the pool, gymnasium, and rear areas of the building into flagship facilities for use by residents.”

In announcing his candidacy, Maturo reflected, “East Haven's story since 2011 is one of shared success.‟ We are successful and prosperous because of the leadership of this team, the hard work of our department heads and public servants, and the trust of our taxpayers and residents.”

Maturo concluded, “For sixteen of the last twenty years, it has been my distinct honor to serve the residents of this great community. We‟ve kept taxes low, balanced budgets, reduced debt to a modern low, and completed critical public safety and capital upgrades. We've found and created efficiencies in government and learned to do more with less.‟ We have chartered a path of prosperity, fiscal responsibility, and success for East Haven and, along the way, we have kept East Haven an affordable, safe place to live and raise a family. If re-elected, I promise to continue working to keep East Haven moving forward on the right track.”

Written by Brian McCready (Patch National Staff)

(Editor's Note: This story first ran previously but here it is again in case you missed it.)