West Hartford Mayor To Step Down

West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka announced Thursday that he will be stepping down from the West Hartford Town Council and his role as Mayor after recently being promoted to Deputy General Counsel of The LEGO Group.

Slifka made the announcement this afternoon during the closing of his annual “State of the Town” address, hosted by the West Hartford Chamber of Commerce at Wampanoag Country Club.

As Deputy General Counsel of The LEGO Group, Slifka will take on a global role, reporting directly to LEGO’s General Counsel in Denmark and will oversee a team of lawyers with operations based in London, Denmark and Asia.

Slifka’s promotion and new job responsibilities were announced by LEGO this past Monday, Jan. 25.

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“As exciting as the role will be, it will also be very demanding – and I’ve concluded that it won’t be compatible with running a similarly demanding town in one’s spare time while trying to be a good husband and father,” Slifka told the capacity crowd of approximately 150, according to a press release.

“And the current mayoral salary doesn’t make it much of a debate,” Slifka said with a laugh, referring to the volunteer position he has held since 2004.

While he plans to step down later this spring after the adoption of the town budget, Slifka said that he intends to remain politically active.

Read more from the press release below:

“I suspect that in the coming years my state and my party may benefit from someone with my skills, perspective and voice,” Slifka said. “And I leave with pride in knowing that we helped make a great community even better and the firm belief that my record is as strong as anyone’s.”

West Hartford’s longest serving and youngest Mayor, Scott Slifka was first elected to the Town Council in 2001 and served as Deputy Mayor from 2002 until being elected Mayor in 2004 at the age of 30.

Under Slifka’s leadership, smart choices and strong public engagement and support have helped West Hartford weather the fiscal challenges of the past decade and have made the Town stronger than ever.

Over the last 12 years West Hartford has seen economic revitalization and investment in all of the town’s commercial areas including Elmwood, Corbin’s Corner, Park Road, West Hartford Center and Bishops Corner.

Last week, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s reaffirmed West Hartford’s top AAA bond rating, a measure of fiscal responsibility given to only a handful of US municipalities and indicative of the West Hartford’s ability to control spending, make town government more efficient and invest in important town services.

West Hartford’s public schools continue to be nationally recognized and top rated and are one of the leading factors contributing to the town’s strong residential real estate market. West Hartford has also been recognized by national studies and publications as one of the nation’s most desirable places in which to live, work and raise a family.