State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria embraces First Selectman Kurt Miller.
First Selectman Kurt Miller and his fellow elected officials were sworn in during a 30-minute ceremony at Seymour Middle School Monday.
Miller is exploring whether to make a run for state office, most likely treasurer.
But he didn’t sound like a typical politician trying to grab headlines.
The Republican made it a point to say any progress in Seymour is the result of a team effort.
“It’s important to thank the people you need to thank, and then, secondly, this signifies the end of (the) campaign,” Miller said.
The job now is to “do what we think is the best for the Town of Seymour,” he said.
State Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, R‑Seymour, administered the oath to Miller, as she did for eight other elected boards or commissions.
A portion of Miller’s remarks to the crowd is embedded below.
Rob Kane, one of the state’s auditor of public accounts, made opening remarks, listing several of the Miller administration’s accomplishments, including:
- Increasing the fund balance from 5 to 13 percent
- Dropping the debt rate from about 10 percent to about 6 percent
- Repaving 30 percent of the town’s roads within the past 5 years
- Increasing the town’s bond rating
“I find it incredible and I think you’ve done an amazing job,” Kane said.
Kane represented part of Seymour in the state Senate for nine years, and he and Miller are close.
“Seymour, whether Democrat or Republican, has always been run well,” Kane said.
(Left to right) Al Bruno, Kurt Miller, Nicole Klarides-Ditria, Annmarie Drugonis and Len Greene.
In an interview prior to Monday’s ceremony, Miller said the state budget reduced funding to Seymour by about $2 million within this fiscal year.
That’s a tough blow, but the town stands ready to enter another budget season without a mill rate increase.
That’s because Seymour elected officials and employees have made fiscal health a top priority.
“Next year’s budget will be tricky, but Seymour is prepared to handle what we have seen so far and do so with basically no impact to services and with the mill rate remaining at 36 (which will be our third year in a row),” he said.
Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Welch, appointed to that position earlier this year, served as the master of ceremonies.
The Rev. Allison Glass of Seymour Congregational Church gave the convocation.
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