Derby To Vote Nov. 8 On $3 Million Road Bond

This Google image from 2019 shows potholes on E Street in Derby, which connects Park Avenue to Hawthorne Avenue across from Derby Neck Library.

DERBY – In addition to voting on state and federal races, voters in Derby will be asked on Tuesday whether to approve borrowing $3 million to mill and pave roads.

It will appear on the ballot as question number 2 in a box on the upper right front of the paper. 

It’s a yes or no question.

Click here to read a PDF sample ballot from the city’s website.

An employee from Luchs, DeCarlo & Doll, an engineering firm, appeared at a Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen meeting held Oct. 13 to go over the road bond road list,” as described on the meeting’s agenda.

The $3 million could potentially pay for milling and paving on some 30 roads, according to the list reviewed in public by Derby’s legislative body.

However, the engineering firm said the list could change. That’s because the price of road materials has fluctuated greatly over the past few years, along with the price of gasoline.

A definite list won’t be known until the city formally puts the job out to bid and hires a contractor, officials said.

The two images below were the list of roads presented to the Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen. The roads within the red box are roads that would be done together since it makes sense logistically.

If the names of the roads are too small, CLICK HERE TO READ THE LIST ASPDF.

Derby has about 40 miles of roads. Luchs, DeCarlo & Doll took a list of six to seven roads provided by the Aldermen & Alderwomen, along with about a dozen roads provided by the Derby Department of Public Works. The company inspected and surveyed those roads and others, and then added more to the list.

The road repairs would include ripping off about two inches of existing surface through milling, and then paving.

The $3 million, if approved, could potentially cover about 7 linear miles. 

If approved today and added to the current budget, it would add about .25 mill to the tax rate, the mayor’s chief of staff said in August.

Whether the borrowing, if approved on Tuesday, will have that type of impact on the mill rate won’t be known until the spring of 2023, when the city’s Board of Apportionment and Taxation finishes a new budget.

The $3 million would be paid off annually over 20 years, starting with a first-year payment of about $270,000.

The road bond issue is not without opposition. 

Some city Democrats have complained the Dziekan administration has not been up front about which roads will be paved.

Voters approved a $3.7 million road bond in 2014. The city published formal explanatory text” that was made available to voters detailing what roads would be repaired.

In August, the Dziekan administration indicated the same thing would be done this time. However, that has not happened. 

The city’s website shows a resolution explaining the city hopes to borrow $3 million, but there is no supplemental explanatory test listing the roads to be paved, which differs from 2014.

In an interview on Thursday, Walt Mayhew, Mayor Dziekan’s chief of staff, said he was told the Registrar of Voters will have the list of roads on display at the polling locations on Tuesday.

Democrats have also complained the list of roads discussed in public were not formally voted on by the Aldermen and Alderwomen. 

However, the board voted to send the borrowing to voters after a meeting back in August.

The administration said the road work needs to be done, and that Derby’s finances are healthy enough to support the borrowing. 

In the week leading up to Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022) The Valley Indy received four letters urging residents to vote no, and two letters urging residents to vote yes.

Those who wrote in opposition were Owney Malerba III, the chairman of the Derby Democratic Town Committee; school board member Melissa Mongillo, a Democrat; Jim Gildea, who ran on the Republican ticket but has been sharply critical of the administration, and; Linda Fusco, the former chairwoman of the Derby Democratic Town Committee.

Jim Petrino, a Republican who was formerly fire commissioner, and Mike Alberta, a Derby Republican, wrote letters supporting the road work.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There are two polling places in Derby – the Bradley School and the Irving School.

Click here to find out where to go.


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