Citing Need For Fresh Ideas, Seymour’s Kurt Miller Announces He’s Leaving Office In October

SEYMOUR — Saying the town is on solid financial footing with a capable professional staff and a team of volunteers working to keep it that way, Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller announced he will leave office in October.

Miller took office in December 2011. He is in the middle of his fifth, two-year term. In October he will have 14 months left in his current term.

Miller said he is leaving for a number of reasons, both professional and personal. He said he is weighing a few job offers from the private and public sector. He also said that bringing new leadership and fresh ideas into the First Selectman’s office makes sense at this point.

“It’s time for a new member of the team to come forward and lead the town through the next budget process, and then into the upcoming election in 2021,” Miller told The Valley Indy.

Miller, a Republican, made strengthening Seymour’s finances his top goal after taking office in 2011. He stressed stable taxes, a healthy fund balance, and a strong credit rating from analysts as a way to attract economic growth.

The town hasn’t had a tax increase in five years, and its cash reserve has enabled it to weather economic impacts such as COVID-19 and threats to state aid.

Companies such as Thule and Connecticut Basement Systems opted to stay in Seymour and make major renovations. Miller said that’s a testament to Seymour’s economic policies.

“We’ve spent a great deal of time building a team in Seymour. We’ve gone from a town that was politically run to a town that is professionally run,” Miller said. ​“We’ve spent a lot of time putting people in place and giving them the opportunity to run their departments.”

The people running the various departments in town are qualified professionals, Miller said, and that is reflected in the work they do.

In an interview Friday, Miller said he did not have a precise date as to when he’ll retire from the First Selectmen’s Office. It will likely be in early October.

Once he leaves, the six members of the Seymour Board of Selectmen will choose his replacement from amongst themselves. That Selectman will be elevated to First Selectman. 

The board will also have to fill a vacancy on the board at that point.

That’s according to Miller: he said the town counsel will officially brief the board on what has to happen.

The following message was posted Friday afternoon by Miller on the Office of the First Selectman’s Facebook page:

In the book ​“Good to Great” by Jim Collins, he stresses that for an organization to have sustainable growth and progress, it is important to not only get the right people on the bus, but to get those people in the right seats. Over the last 9 years, we have spent a great deal of time and effort building a team of volunteers and professional staff that has produced at a very high level for the benefit of the Town of Seymour. This team of people has worked together to move us forward and place us in very strong positions both operationally and financially.

I have full and unquestioned confidence in this team and the levels of performance that they can achieve going forward. It is with that confidence that I am announcing that I will be stepping down as First Selectman in early October. In the coming weeks, I will be working with the Board of Selectmen to follow the process established by the Charter for appointing my replacement.

Serving in this position for my hometown has been one of the greatest privileges and honors of my life. It is an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. This town has given me more than I could every repay and I am deeply grateful for having had the chance to lead it for so many years. To the residents of the town of Seymour and to all the people who have supported me over the years, thank you for being with me every step of the way. Your love and support mean more to me than you will ever know.

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Miller ran for state comptroller in 2018 but lost to incumbent Kevin Lembo.

Each time Miller has been elected in Seymour, he hinted he would not run again — only to run again and win.

Does he plan to run for higher office again? 

“No … well, actually,” he said, hesitating. ​“I’m just joking. No, I have no interest. I’m done with politics. I’ve devoted 20 plus years to Seymour in some shape or form. I started on the parks commission, spent time on the board of finance, spent time on the Board of Selectmen, it’s just time. Fresh faces and fresh ideas are good. They help communities grow.”

Miller and his wife, Tara, have two children. Drew is 19, and Kaitlyn is 13.