ANSONIA – Mayor David Cassetti is telling voters this November to “keep charging forward.”

On Oct. 3, Cassetti took to Nolan Field for a ribbon-cutting at the newly turfed field, an $8 million project which voters approved at referendum in 2023. 

It is the latest in a long line of accomplishments the mayor and his supporters point to as reasons to re-elect Cassetti to a seventh, two-year term. 

They also point to a new middle school set to begin construction soon, ongoing demolition and remediation at defunct downtown factories, and the continued resurgence of Ansonia’s Main Street.

Cassetti, 65, is being challenged this year by former Alderman Frank Tyszka on the Democratic line and petitioning candidate Thomas Egan. 

Cassetti and Tyszka have traded verbal blows in recent weeks over issues including the future of Ansonia Copper & Brass, high density housing, and the city’s sale of its sewer system to a private entity in 2024.

The Valley Indy sent multiple requests to Cassetti to interview the mayor about his platform, but did not hear back by deadline. 

This story is based on recent public statements by the mayor, his party’s recent social media posts, and Valley Indy coverage of Cassetti going back to 2011.

Cassetti supporters say he brings an economic vision which has allowed him to keep taxes low and attract new businesses to the city.

Ansonia Republicans point to the city’s mill rate, which Cassetti’s administration has decreased from 39.34 mills in 2013 to 28.55 mills this year. That’s lower than nearby Derby, at 43.20 mills, and similar to Seymour’s, at 27.72 mills.

Cassetti’s 12 years in office have also seen a new police station and senior center built on Main Street, the opening of a splash pad at Nolan Field, the removal of the Olson Drive federally-subsidized housing complex, and an agreement to build a $37 million fuel cell project at the former SHW facility.

Meanwhile, his political opponents say the Cassetti administration can’t be trusted with finances. Tyszka has described the city as being in “financial chaos” under Cassetti, and said the city can’t sustain its yearly budgets with the one-time sale of its sewer system.

Ansonia Democrats also said on Facebook that the mayor has misused city services to aid his campaign, pointing to a Code Red robocall in which Cassetti told city residents he had been misunderstood in a Hearst Connecticut article.

Cassetti’s supporters say the city is in a healthy financial state, pointing to the city’s AA- bond rating and a fund balance of nearly $8 million at the end of the 2024 fiscal year. They say the city’s sale of its sewer system allowed it to avoid costly repair bills which would have required tax increases.

In July, Cassetti told The Valley Indy he was ready to throw in the towel and return to private life – until he saw Tyszka’s platform. He’s described himself as an underdog this November, although ‘Team Cassetti’ Republicans have a record of winning elections.

They hold every seat on the Board of Aldermen and the majority of the Ansonia Board of Education. The city’s tax board lists three Democrats, though one is the mayor’s brother.

Cassetti himself has consistently pulled off big wins in mayoral elections. Since entering office, he’s won every election for mayor with at least 65 percent of the vote. His closest race was against Phil Tripp in 2019, a Republican who switched to Democrat after a falling out with Cassetti.

He’s suffered one recent loss, to state Rep. Kara Rochelle, after he challenged her for her seat in 2024.

Cassetti’s political dominance in the city has allowed the administration to move forward on a wide range of initiatives. His supporters say there are good, efficient relationships between city departments – including the board of education – and that teamwork between departments is pushing the city forward. 

His opponents, including Tyszka and Democratic candidates for office, say Cassetti’s dominance has led to a system which mostly benefits political insiders.

In recent months, the Ansonia Board of Aldermen has negotiated with the Shelton Economic Development Corporation over a deal which would allow the Shelton organization to oversee the Ansonia Copper & Brass revitalization. 

Cassetti has said the deal allows Ansonia to draw on the expertise of Shelton, which has experienced its own economic boom in recent decades. His opponents, meanwhile, say the deal is a way to benefit Sheila O’Malley, the current Shelton EDC President and former Ansonia Economic Development Director under Cassetti.

And, in August, the city hired Republican Alderman Joseph Jaumann to serve as its full-time human resources director and chief operating officer. Cassetti said Jaumann, an attorney, is a talented administrator who will provide much-needed services to the city. Democratic candidates said the hiring was an attempt to entrench Cassetti loyalists in city hall ahead of the election.

Although Cassetti wouldn’t talk with The Valley Indy, he responded to Democratic allegations of corruption in a radio appearance on the ‘Chaz & AJ’ program Sept. 30. He brushed off those concerns.

“My main concern is the residents of Ansonia, keeping their taxes stable, and more economic development,” Cassetti said on that radio appearance.

Cassetti holds a certificate in business administration from Gateway Community College, and he’s been in the construction business since the 1980s.

He handed over his construction company, Birmingham Construction, to his son Anthony in 2013, during his first year as mayor. That company had financial issues, including unpaid taxes, but Cassetti said his son turned the business around.

The state’s online business database still lists a “David Cassetti” as a principal of the business. He told The Valley Indy he was planning on returning to business before he decided to run for another term as mayor, and that he’s listed as an owner because his son operates under his sewer license.

Election Day is Nov. 4.