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04/10/2023 04:11 PMStanding before the Town in the auditorium of East Haven High School, Mayor Joseph Carfora proclaimed with confidence that East Haven is “strong, proud, respected, and financially secure” in his State of the Town Address on March 29.
“We are proud of what we are doing and where we are headed, and respected among our contemporaries and counterparts,” said Carfora.
The mayor spoke to numerous town boards and departments for their work over the past year since his last address and the “essential services” they continue to provide for improved safety, transparency, accountability, health, and wellness for residents.
Carfora began his speech by lauding the efforts of public safety departments in fire, police, and first responders.
“I know that our public safety leaders and our rank and file face unprecedented challenges in the execution of their daily responsibilities. Our police and fire personnel are asked to do so much on a daily basis, doing so unselfishly to protect our families,” he said.
Among other commitments, the mayor spoke of the Police Department’s participation in the recently formed Regional Traffic Enforcement Team which he said “has been instrumental in addressing traffic and other quality of life complaints throughout our town,” resulting in safer roads and improved communication between motorists and officers.
The mayor focused his appraisal of the Fire Department for its improved responsiveness and capability made possible by its “significant investments in infrastructure, equipment, and personnel to enhance the safety of our residents and firefighters.”
He ensured that the town’s first responders “will always have the necessary means that are required to protect themselves and to keep our community safe, but also to ensure that they return home safely every day to their families.”
The mayor spoke of the efforts of the Recreation Department and Public Works for their continued efforts in improving East Haven’s infrastructure and playscapes and providing new activities for all community members.
Major ongoing and recently completed projects by both departments, including the renovated Pasquale G. “Patsy” DiLungo Veterans Memorial Ice Rink, the West End Revitalization project, the Greenway Trail, and new playscapes for children to keep active were among the examples given of new and improved services.
The mayor praised Public Works for their “deep knowledge of our town’s infrastructure and can quickly respond to any issues that arise” and their cross-departmental collaborations with Recreation. The latter department has been committed to being a more accessible town body, most notably with its software updates to create a new website, “which means more people can participate and enjoy all that our Recreation Department has to offer,” said Mayor Carfora.
“I’m proud of the positive changes that we’ve made to our Recreation Department, and I’m excited about what’s to come. Our town is always growing and evolving, and our Recreation Department has done the same by having the vision needed to anticipate entertaining activities like never before.
In recognition of “making education a priority for our community,” Mayor Carfora addressed a significant financial action for the Board of Education in his new budget, mainly aimed at teacher retention. The move is a request to allocate $900,000 to the board, “a substantial increase from last year’s unanimous Town Council vote of $100,000,” said Carfora.
“This year’s substantial increase in funding is to support efforts that focus on teacher retention, aiming to keep as many teachers as possible and avoid losing them due to pay inequality,” the mayor said. “We are proud to share in recognizing the dedication and hard-working teachers, a valuable resource to our community.”
In establishing transparency and accountability, Carfora addressed the work and personnel of the Town Clerk’s Office and the Zoning, Technology, and Tax departments. He praised the technological updates the departments have made to make their services and town documents more accessible while praising the bilingualism of the Tax Department, adding two new employees “to better serve our community and its changing demographics,” particularly its Spanish speakers.
Mayor Carfora did not skirt the hot-button issues the Town continues to face. He addressed the contentiousness surrounding the expansion of Tweed New Haven Airport, which is determined to add another terminal and extend its runway.
Given that the “massive proposed expansion” to the East Haven side of the airport “is the most transformative project in our town’s history,” the mayor expressed his strong commitment to ensuring that all elements of the matter, from the legal conversations to environmental evaluations are seen through with utmost transparency and consideration for proximate residents of Tweed.
“Let me leave no doubt: East Haven is standing up for itself, and we will continue to do so throughout this process. We have the right team in place, and everyone has the same goal, and that is to ensure that this project is fairly and honestly considered and that our Town is protected as federal law mandates.”
On the strength of a newly certified town surplus of $1,554,726 and attaining the highest fund balance since 2004, the mayor closed his speech before his presentation for the 2023-’24 fiscal year budget. The Town Council is expected to adopt the budget at a special meetin gon April 25. Acknowledging his administration's work, including the Board of Finance, Carfora said he was “quite proud to present to you a budget that holds the line on taxes but also funds our Police and Fire Departments...all essential services and our board of education.”
He concluded his speech thusly:
“I want to acknowledge our department heads and my staff for their hard work on this budget. Without a doubt, we have the finest finance director in the area. Jim [Keely] is thorough and extremely organized, but also a pleasure to work with. I’d like to thank the members of the Board of Finance for their service. Like you, they give their time to this community to make it better.”