ANSONIA – Mayor Frank Tyszka’s administration hired a financial consultant to review budgets created during former Mayor David Cassetti’s time in office. 

The city will pay $36,500 to Thomas Hamilton, of Hamilton Consulting, LLC, for his services, according to a press release from the mayor’s office.

Background

Tyszka, a Democrat, defeated Cassetti, a Republican, in November 2025. Cassetti had been mayor since 2013. The Democrats also took all the seats on the Board of Aldermen, the city’s legislative body.

The Democrats have complained for a decade that the Cassetti administration was doing a bad job handling finances. In response, the former administration pointed to lower mill rates, a rejuvenated downtown, and economic development projects such as keeping the Farrel Corp. based in Ansonia.

Lies?

Since taking office, Tyszka has accused the former administration of inserting “lies” into their budgets – hence, the need for a fresh pair of eyes to review previous budgets.

Specifically, Tyszka pointed to the budget adopted in June last year, which listed $1.3 million in revenue coming from a fuel cell project that has not yet been built. In reality, the $1.3 million came from the sale of the city’s WPCA to Aquarion. Democrats were also critical of including the “use of future revenue” in Cassetti-era budgets because the money was not guaranteed to arrive.

The fuel cell project was supposed to be built in a section of the former Ansonia Copper & Brass site. The deal was solid enough to include it as future revenue, John Marini, the city’s former corporation counsel, said.

It allowed the city to keep taxes stable for residents, Marini said. He said the WPCA money was there as a backstop.

“The revenue projections tied to the site were based on a very real redevelopment opportunity that remains on the horizon, and projecting that future responsibly allowed taxpayers to avoid unnecessary increases in the interim,” Marini said.

The sale of the WPCA and the use of the proceeds is a bone of contention with city Democrats.

They said the motivation for the sale was desperation – the city needed to close budget holes. The Cassetti administration said the sale would prevent the city from spending millions on WPCA repairs and ultimately save residents money on WPCA bills.

In June 2025, The Valley Indy reported that about 43 percent of the $41 million sale was used to bolster three Ansonia budgets.

The Valley Indy reached out to Cassetti and budget director Kurt Miller to ask for a response to those accusations but did not hear back by deadline.

Report To Be Prepared

In a press release, Tyszka said Hamilton Consulting will provide an objective report on where the city’s finances stand.

The goal is for the company to conduct a “comprehensive independent analysis of Ansonia’s financial standing.”

A public report from Hamilton Consulting will be issued.

That report is not an audit, which a third-party company does each year for Ansonia. It’s also not a forensic audit, a type of deep-dive audit performed when criminal activity is suspected.

Tyszka’s chief of staff, Nancy Spagnolo, said the money to pay Hamilton will come from this year’s budget but did not specify which line item from the budget. 

The Ansonia charter has rules for bidding contracts. The city did not go out to bid.

Spagnolo said that’s because Hamilton is being hired as a non-union employee.

She said the hiring did not need to go out to bid because Hamilton is not a union employee.

She said some of the things Hamilton will be tasked at looking at include findings from past audits, a bond outlook downgrade the city received in 2024, and federal tax credits the city has not yet received.

The full press release from Tyszka’s administration is below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

January 21, 2026 

MAYOR TYSZKA APPOINTS DISTINGUISHED FINANCE EXPERT THOMAS HAMILTON TO LEAD ANSONIA’S FISCAL RECOVERY INITIATIVE 

ANSONIA, CT – Recognizing that fiscal stability is the bedrock of a thriving community, Mayor Frank Tyszka announced today the appointment of Thomas S. Hamilton, Principal of Hamilton Consulting, LLC, and a veteran municipal finance leader, to conduct a comprehensive independent analysis of Ansonia’s financial standing. 

Since taking office on December 1, 2025, Mayor Tyszka has faced significant inherited fiscal challenges. To address these issues with the highest level of professionalism, the Mayor has recruited Mr. Hamilton to provide a clear-eyed assessment of the city’s budgetary practices and to chart a sustainable path toward economic growth and long-term stability. 

Unparalleled Expertise and Integrity 

Mr. Hamilton brings over four decades of elite experience in managing the complex finances of Connecticut’s diverse municipalities. His career is defined by a reputation for integrity and a proven track record of navigating cities through periods of intense financial distress. 

Turnaround Success: Notably, Mr. Hamilton served as the Finance Director for the City of West Haven, where he was hired specifically following a cash flow crisis. He successfully returned the city to solvency and achieved three bond rating upgrades during his tenure. 

Strategic Leadership: As the former Finance Director for the City of Norwalk and Director of Administration for the City of Stamford, he managed  multi-hundred-million-dollar budgets and protected top-tier Aaa/AAA bond ratings even through the 2008 global financial crisis 

School Finance Authority: Most recently, he served as CFO for Norwalk Public  Schools, overseeing a general fund budget of approximately $245 million and innovating student-based budgeting models 

State-Level Oversight: His expertise is recognized statewide; he currently serves on the State of Connecticut Municipal Accountability Review Board, which oversees the state’s most financially distressed municipalities. 

A Mandate for Transparency 

Mayor Tyszka has provided Mr. Hamilton with a direct and uncompromising mandate: to issue a straightforward, public report detailing the current state of Ansonia’s finances, an objective look at the factors that led to the current situation, and actionable recommendations for the best paths forward. 

“The residents of Ansonia deserve a budget process rooted in professionalism, not politics,” said Mayor Tyszka. “By bringing in a professional of Tom Hamilton’s caliber, we are signaling our absolute commitment to transparency. We will put the facts on the table, address our challenges head-on, and build a foundation for growth that the people of this city can trust.” 

Professional Background of Thomas S. Hamilton 

• Principal, Hamilton Consulting, LLC: Strategic consulting for school districts and municipalities. 

• CFO, Norwalk Public Schools (2015-2021): Managed finances for a district of 12,000 students and 1,900 employees. 

Finance Director, City of Norwalk (2003-2015): Managed all financial operations, including debt management, pensions, and internal audits. 

Director of Administration, City of Stamford (1996-2003): Served as CFO for Fairfield County’s premier business center. 

Education: Master of Public Administration from the Fels Institute of Government, University of Pennsylvania.