Derby Mayor Joseph DiMartino
DERBY – Mayor Joseph DiMartino announced Feb. 5 that he will seek a second-term as the city’s top elected official.
An official announcement is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, March 1 at The Quail & Ale Neighborhood Pub, 328 Derby Ave.
“We have only begun to turn this city around,” the mayor said in a prepared statement issued by his campaign on Wednesday.
DiMartino, a Democrat, was elected mayor in 2023 after beating Republican opponent Gino DiGiovanni Jr. and former Mayor Rich Dziekan in a three-way race. Dziekan, after losing a GOP primary, ran as an unaffiliated candidate.
DiGiovanni is the chairman of the Derby Town Republican Party. The Valley Indy reached out to him Wednesday for a reaction to DiMartino’s announcement but did not hear back. However, earlier this month DiGiovanni said he would not run for mayor because a mayor deserves two terms.
Dziekan said he hasn’t decided whether he’ll run again.
The local political parties usually hold nominating conventions in the summer to endorse candidates.
In his prepared statement, DiMartino touted his efforts to straighten Derby finances.
Derby’s finances have been plagued with problems dating back to at least 2016.
Those problems include the city‘double counting’ education grants resulting in deficits, using the fund balance to close deficits, overly-optimistic tax revenue projections, bad record keeping, budgeting for state grants that didn’t exist, and under-funding employee health benefits.
The city also consistently filed past audited financial statements late with the state.
Furthermore, there were six finance directors between 2009 and 2023.
DiMartino, with the board of Aldermen/Alderwomen’s approval, hired Brian Hall as finance director.
“When I first became mayor, we inherited a $2 million deficit, the state was knocking on our door, and we bounced checks when trying to pay our vendors. Our financial situation was in disarray,” the mayor’s prepared statement read.
The mayor said city officials rolled up their sleeves and made tough decisions to get Derby back on its feet.
“We made tough decisions, and now, just over a year later, the deficit has been eliminated, the state is satisfied with our progress, and we are ready to focus on economic development,” DiMartino said.
One of those decisions – a tax rate increase of 4.6 mills, approved by the Derby Board of Apportionment and Taxation in April 2024.
That tax increase was needed because previous budgets were built on bad projections, the DiMartino administration said. One thing that didn’t happen – an independent forensic audit, which was promised on the campaign trail. The cost may have been too expensive.
DiMartino’s statement said the city is poised for growth.
There’s new housing opening and under construction downtown. The state’s Main Street widening project has an end date. The state just refurbished the Derby-Shelton bridge. The Derby train station is due for a renovation to be paid for by the federal and state governments, and the city is preparing to celebrate its 350 anniversary this year.
Prior to becoming mayor, DiMartino worked for 33 years in the Derby Department of Public Works. He was a longtime softball and wrestling coach, and worked at the high school after retiring from the DPW.
He is a past president of the Derby Board of Aldermen and Alderwomen. He and his wife, Lori, have four daughters: Karissa, Jordyn, Lacey, and Kaelyn. They have two grandchildren, Joey and Jaxson, with another on the way.
Election Day is Nov. 4, 2025.
