As the Economic Development Director, it is my responsibility to make Ansonia a desirable community to do business in.
To that end, Mayor Cassetti and this administration strives to be a fiscally healthy community. Fiscally sound communities share a lot of similarities. Over the years, they have practiced sound fiscal budgeting and have created development opportunities where they did not exist. A common theme in healthy cities is the stabilization of the tax rate and a pro-business climate that results in increased grand list growth.
It is irresponsible for anyone to suggest that an increasing tax rate is not a deterrent to businesses looking to relocate, remain or expand in Ansonia. First and foremost, businesses looking to relocate to Ansonia are looking for an environment with a stable tax base. They want the ability to forecast future expenditures. An escalation or fluctuation in the tax rate scares away prospective developers and investors. They need to know that the climate will not change dramatically.
Fiscally healthy communities have many things in common and they follow the same formula to attract, retain and grow business. That formula includes keeping the mill rate stable (avoiding fluctuations), creating incentives by securing grant funds, partnering with the private sector, shrinking not growing government, ensuring you have a seat at the table when opportunities present themselves, joining with neighboring communities to regionalize services (pooled together there is a diverse mix of assets), creating and adhering to a capital plan, maximizing city owned resources, and ensuring fair union contracts so that residents don’t have to shoulder the burden.
The good news is that Mayor Cassetti’s strategy is working. In the past three years we have seen a steady increase in the growth of our grand list.
We have created opportunity here by implementing many of the same things healthy communities do.
On the economic development front we have spurred economic growth by partnering with private development to fund a road that led to the development of an industrial park and the retention of an over 180-year-old company, we are about to sell two city owned properties that remained almost entirely vacant since the 1980s and will now be redeveloped into residential and commercial units.
We are relocating our police station into a vacated property that was recovered in bankruptcy and will help to consolidate other city services in the downtown. This has paved the way for a brand new development in another vacant manufacturing building caught up in bankruptcy.
We helped to secure funding to clean up the old Healey Ford property that has sat vacant for years and now a new business Road Ready has moved in creating over 50 new jobs. We helped to bring a developer to the table who is marketing and developing three new site pads on Main Street adjacent to Target. We are reconstructing Wakelee Avenue and creating new sidewalks on Prindle and Pulaski. These are just a few of the ways that this administration has helped to increase growth in our grand list and revitalize the community.
All of these projects, coupled with healthy fiscal management is working to recharge Ansonia.
The writer is employed by the City of Ansonia as its economic development director and grants writer.
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