It’s one thing to talk about progress.
It’s another thing to deliver it.
Slogans like “progress” and “change” are thrown around ad nauseam in government, but it’s usually all hot air. This is nothing new. In fact, The Who has been pointing this out since 1971.
Yet here in the Naugatuck Valley we have the exceptions. City leaders swept into office promising a new direction in Ansonia, Derby, and Seymour have practiced what they preached.
As a result, these long overlooked Valley communities are becoming examples of effective and efficient government in a state that has, unfortunately, gained a reputation for exactly the opposite.
It’s a true underdog story that Connecticut needs to hear.
Ansonia has undergone a dramatic transformation under the leadership of David S. Cassetti, an ex-boxer who translated his fighting spirit into fleet-footed governance and knockout victories for the city’s taxpayers.
Much has been made of Ansonia’s ability to stabilize and lower its tax rate over the past four years while improving public services. Yet the results of Mayor Cassetti’s strategy are just now coming into view.
Leveraging excess reserves to hold down taxes and provide matching funds for $20 million in development grants, the city has created an atmosphere conducive to investment. The grand list is projected to skyrocket by $91 million this year as the result of visible business growth and rising property values.
Meanwhile, Standard & Poor’s just last week reaffirmed Ansonia’s above-average AA bond rating, citing strong financial reserves and conservative budgeting practices.
In neighboring Derby, Mayor Richard Dziekan wasted no time in applying common sense to topple the sickly silo that symbolized the city’s economic stagnation for decades. At no cost to taxpayers.
As for those who shrug their shoulders at the significance of Mayor Dzeikan’s accomplishment, remember that past administrations were apparently unfazed at allowing a rusted four-story bird seed silo to represent Derby to the outside world. And suddenly this little demo project speaks volumes about the city’s new leadership.
Finally, there is Seymour and the story of a town that has rebuilt its fiscal house brick-by-brick. First Selectman Kurt Miller, an adept financial manager, has spent the past six years growing Seymour’s reserves while investing over $10 million to repair and upgrade city infrastructure.
Miller’s efforts earned Seymour an impressive AA+ bond rating this past December and provide him with an excellent argument to be Connecticut’s next Comptroller.
While Cassetti, Dziekan and Miller all share a common political affiliation, their success is attributable to putting progress over party rhetoric. It’s a pragmatic approach that now defines Republican leadership in the Valley: if it’s broke, fix it.
Let’s hope the State of Connecticut is paying attention, because Hartford has no shortage of broken things to be fixed. The Naugatuck Valley would be happy to share notes.
In the meantime, the practice of results-orientated government must become the new Valley standard. Let other communities claim reputations for bureaucracy, ineffectiveness, and endless excuses.
Valley residents won’t get fooled again.
John P. Marini
The writer is a former Ansonia Alderman who is currently the city’s corporation counsel.
Views expressed in letters to the editor and press releases do not necessarily reflect the views of ValleyIndy.org. The Valley Indy has a 550-word limit.
