Maturo Makes It Official: East Haven Mayor to Seek Re-Election This Fall

The following is a press release from Maturo for Mayor 2013 campaign.

Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr. announced today that he has filed his official campaign paperwork and will be seeking re-election for a 7th term as Mayor of East Haven. 

Maturo explained, "For 12 of the last 16 years, I have had the privilege of leading our great community. Today, I am officially announcing my candidacy for the office of Mayor of East Haven because I know that, together, we can continue to move East Haven forward on the right track." 

In his announcement, Maturo focused on his track record of consistent, steady leadership. 

Maturo continued, "In my first 10 years in office, my team and I gave East Haven the lowest tax rate in 25 years, balanced 11 budgets, re-built the Town's rainy day fund to over $6 million dollars, increased the Town's credit rating, and increased funding to police, fire, and education services. During my absence, the Town ran 3 straight deficits, endured one of the largest tax increases in the Town's history, ran up crippling long term debt, and suffered a drop in its credit rating. However, in just 18 short months since my return to office, my Team and I rolled back taxes for over 6,800 households across town, balanced another tight budget, paid off over $3.5 million dollars in debt, completed a host of traffic and safety upgrades, and restored critical Town programs including the DARE program and Code Enforcement team." 

Maturo not only highlighted policy achievements, but discussed his team's proven history of stimulating economic development in the area. 

Maturo explained, "In my first term in office, we worked hard to grow our industrial park to shift the tax burden off of residents and we brought in Home Depot, Carmax, and many other businesses. In the past 14 months, we have seen a host of new small businesses open up in Town and have worked to bring big box retailers like Hobby Lobby and Shoprite to Town. In these tough times, East Haven has proven to be fertile ground for new businesses to prosper." 

While proudly announcing his candidacy, Maturo also discussed the numerous public safety projects he has completed in his time as Mayor. 

Maturo continued, “I had the privilege of serving as a firefighter in East Haven for 19 years and, as a result, public safety has always been important to me. As a result, as Mayor, I’ve made several public safety improvements around Town. We instituted 24/7 paramedic service, which starting saving lives from day one. This past year, we installed a solar powered stop sign at Kimberly Avenue and Forbes place. 

"Further, we obtained approval for a new traffic signal at Short Beach Road and Mansfield Grove Road. We secured the assistance of the National Guard to supplement security efforts during Hurricane Sandy and the recent winter storm, to help keep residents safe. Finally, we started the new School Liaison Program to increase school safety in the wake of Sandy Hook.” 

Maturo concluded, "For 12 of the last 16 years, it has been a privilege to serve the residents of East Haven. In that time, I’ve worked hard to make East Haven a safe, affordable community to raise a family by keeping taxes stable, paying off long term debt, and improving public safety. If re-elected, I promise to continue to work hard to keep East Haven moving forward on the right track." 

For more information, please contact the Campaign via e-mail at maturo2013@gmail.com.