Mayor Alves: Promises Made, Credit Claimed, Results Lacking

Two years ago, Roberto Alves was elected Mayor of Danbury on a platform of bold promises and polished rhetoric. He pledged to fix our roads, fully fund education, improve public safety, and provide meaningful tax relief, all without raising taxes. Today, the record tells a different story.

Taxes: The Promise Broken, Twice

Mayor Alves promised not to raise taxes. Yet in both of his budgets, taxes have gone up. Despite a healthy fund balance and millions in one-time state aid, residents are paying more, and the worst may be yet to come. By using $9 million from the city’s reserve fund and temporary American Rescue Plan dollars to plug budget holes, the Alves administration has set the stage for a significant tax hike in the next fiscal year. That’s not fiscal responsibility, it’s a short-term patch with long-term consequences.

Credit Rating Downgrade:

A Historic First. For the first time in Danbury’s history, our city’s credit rating has been downgraded. This signals a loss of confidence in our fiscal management and increases the cost of borrowing for future projects. It’s a direct consequence of budgetary gimmicks and a lack of long-term planning.

Education: Funding Gaps and Flat Results

Alves campaigned on a commitment to fully fund education. But when the Board of Education requested $194.5 million to address overcrowding and rising costs, the Mayor fell short. Instead of meeting the need, he relied on one-time state funds and reserve withdrawals to avoid tough budget decisions. The result? No structural solution, and no measurable improvement. The most recent evaluation of student outcomes still rates Danbury schools at a C+, unchanged from previous years.

Public Safety: Rising Crime, Stalled Contracts

While statewide crime has dropped 14%, Danbury has seen an 8% increase. Our police officers still don’t have a contract, and morale is low. The much-touted $49 million Public Safety and Infrastructure Bond was supposed to deliver a new West Side Fire Station. But to date there’s no property, no plan, and no price tag. The centerpiece of the bond remains a phantom project.

Senior Tax Relief: A Maze, Not a Lifeline

Mayor Alves announced a new tax relief ordinance for seniors and disabled residents. But the program is so convoluted that many can’t determine if they qualify without a trip to the Tax Assessor’s office. In practice, only a small fraction of seniors benefit. What was billed as broad relief has become a bureaucratic maze with no tax relief for most seniors.

Economic Development: Part-Time Effort, Flat Results

Danbury’s economic development office is part-time, and so are the results. The grand list, which reflects the city’s taxable property base, remains flat. That means no meaningful growth, no expanded revenue, and no relief for taxpayers. The administration’s lack of full-time focus on economic development is costing Danbury its future.

Infrastructure: Taking Credit, Not Responsibility

The Mayor frequently touts downtown sidewalk improvements and high school lab upgrades. What he doesn’t mention is that these were funded through a SNAP bond initiative passed under Mayor Mark Boughton. As for his own “Comprehensive Paving Plan,” it promises 15 miles of roadwork per year, but offers no schedule, no prioritization, and no transparency. Worse, many of the roads paved this year were state projects or Eversource gas line replacements, not city-led initiatives.

Let’s do the math: Danbury has 240 miles of road. At 15 miles per year, it would take 16 years to repave the entire city. That’s assuming perfect weather, unlimited contractor availability, and no budget constraints. Official records show we’ve averaged 14 miles per year over the past nine years. So what’s really changed?

The Part Time Salesman Mayor

From day one, Mayor Alves has been a skilled salesman, painting a picture of progress while the facts tell another story. He’s quick to claim credit, slow to deliver, and increasingly distracted by his role as
Chairman of the State Democratic Party and other issues. Danbury deserves a full-time mayor, not a part-time politician with statewide ambitions.

Time for Accountability

Two years in, it’s clear: the Alves administration is long on promises and short on results. As we look ahead, Danbury residents must ask themselves, are we better off today than we were two years ago? Are we getting the leadership we were promised? The answers is no when looking at the facts.

Vote for the Emile Buzaid team and you get the real deal, a 24/7 Mayor