2024 Year-End Newsletter From Danbury Mayor Roberto L. Alves

**News Release Submitted by Danbury Mayor Roberto L. Alves**

Dec. 23, 2024

Dear Danbury Residents,

As we close out 2024, it’s a time to reflect on how far we’ve come and the progress we’ve made together.

When I took office Danbury was at a crossroads. We faced serious challenges that we continue to navigate with a great sense of care and responsibility. From underfunded schools to strained public safety and city resources, the task at hand was, and in many ways still is, formidable.

What our city needed most was care, attention to detail, and a vision for our shared future. With these challenges also come incredible opportunities to rebuild and reimagine our city’s potential.

With that in mind, my team and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

Every city department is an important part of how Danbury operates and serves our residents. We knew how important it was to look at areas and departments with the greatest need, starting with the department most critical to our city’s operations that needed the most attention: finance.

Years of delayed audits created instability, and addressing those delays became our first priority.

Using funds already available, we hired an external audit firm, dedicated staff, and took smart, deliberate steps to tackle the fiscal mismanagement of the past. In just six months, we completed the 2022 audit — a process that had been delayed for over a year and a half.

While we made significant progress, those delays had consequences: Moody’s pulled the city’s credit rating, a clear reminder of how urgent and important it is to restore accountability to our financial systems.

But we’re moving forward. The 2023 audit will be completed in the coming weeks, and city audits will be back on track within the year.

This work is ongoing. We’re still on solid financial footing, but we’ve taken tangible strides to rebuild trust and credibility.

Despite these and other challenges, we remain optimistic about Danbury’s future. We have the tools, talent, and the tenacity to build a city that works for everyone.

My office has worked on hundreds of constituent cases. This year we’ve installed new stop signs and speed bumps to make our roads safer, made traffic control enhancements, addressed noise complaints, tackled blight, and responded to neighborhood concerns.

And, after our firefighters had been in need of a new contract for over twelve years. We delivered.

After three administrations, we finally have a contract with our firefighters that incentivizes and encourages them to live in the city they serve. It’s a contract that the city and firefighters can be proud of, and we certainly are.

That’s why we’ve embraced a proactive, hands-on approach to governing. Building trust and establishing open lines of communication isn’t a one-time effort, it’s a daily commitment.

We didn’t stop at fixing what was broken. As part of our initiative to put Danbury on the right track, we’re being proactive. Our team is always on the lookout for sources of funding to help us complete projects that move our city forward.

In 2024 alone, the City of Danbury secured $21.4 million in state and federal grants. These funds will help us make critical capital improvements, enhance public safety, support workforce development, and lay the groundwork for a vibrant downtown arts hub. We’re putting these funds to work.

We’re also making critical investments in our city’s infrastructure and public safety. The $49 million Bipartisan Public Safety and Infrastructure Bond will enable us to build a new fire station on the West Side and improve emergency response times by as much as ten minutes. And, as part of this bond, we’re going to tackle our aging roads with a comprehensive citywide road reconstruction program, ensuring Danbury’s infrastructure is built to last.

My team along with our legislative delegation secured an additional $12 million in state aid — more than any other community in the state — $7.5 million of which was allocated to our schools in addition to a $10 million increase in Danbury Public Schools’ budget.

These investments – made possible through partnerships with state and federal leaders and the trust you’ve placed in us represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make progress for our city.

And while we’ve been investing in Danbury’s future, we’ve been able to do this while keeping taxes low. Danbury continues to boast the lowest tax rate among Connecticut’s top 10 cities. A reflection of our commitment to using taxpayer dollars wisely and maintaining affordability for our residents.

We’re putting every dollar we receive to work.

We’re also focused on protecting and creating spaces where residents can come together and enjoy our community. We’ve made upgrades at Rogers Park, Hatters Park, Tarrywile, and we cut the ribbon on Richter House. This spring, in partnership with the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut, we’ll unveil a new Third Space at Rogers Park, complete with benches, art installations, and a Little Free Library.

And our green public spaces just got a little bit bigger with the recent acquisition of Happy trails Farm, expanding Rogers Park and connecting it to Tarrywile, offering a welcoming space for children and families allowing our green footprint to grow

Looking even further ahead, we’re making investments that will save taxpayers money and generate new revenue for the city on a long-term basis.

Our country’s economy changes we need to change with it. Starting with taking our Public Works facility, the highest electricity consumer across all city operations, off the grid. It costs taxpayers $600,000 to operate this facility and by going off grid we won’t just go cost neutral, we’ll be able to monetize an asset.

By transitioning to more sustainable energy sources, we’re not only reducing our environmental impact but also taking steps to future-proof our city, lower our operational costs in the long term and provide savings that we can reinvest to improve our city whether it’s infrastructure upgrades, or public services.

We’re planning for smart, sustainable growth and development with a focus on projects that strengthen our economy, create jobs, and preserve Danbury’s unique character.

Our economy is on the rise – and in 2024 our unemployment rate plummeted from 5% to 2.1% — lower than the state average, and the lowest unemployment rate among Connecticut’s major cities.

This success is a direct result of the strong partnerships between our local businesses and city leadership, with smart policies that support growth, from streamlining the permitting process to providing resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

We’ve worked hard to make Danbury a place where businesses can flourish, and the results speak for themselves.

Over 1,600 new businesses have registered in Danbury this year alone, and we’ve celebrated over two dozen ribbon cuttings, with over 200 jobs created.

Danbury stands on the brink of even greater opportunity.

And as we look to 2025, we know that even more success awaits us. The road ahead will be challenging, but we face it with hope, optimism, resolve, and a strong work ethic. We’ll continue to build on our momentum together.

On behalf of my administration, I wish you and your families a joyful holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year. Thank you for your continued support as we work to forge Danbury’s future together.

Sincerely,

Mayor Roberto L. Alves