Incumbent mayor Lauren Garrett defeated school board member Walter Morton IV handily by nearly 13 points. Given that a Republican candidate has failed to win a mayoral race in Hamden since 1997, the road to re-election on Nov. 7 should be smooth for her.
- However, Garrett may have an upward climb when it comes to overall favorability.
Fran Nelson, 66, “This town gets worse and worse every year. The way the town is managed is a disgrace. I’m confident (Hamden) is going downhill.”
The sentiment was shared by other Democratic voters.
“I think the taxes are uncontrolled with lots of unnecessary spending, particularly with the school system,” added Mary Ellen, 72. “They’ve gone way overboard at the cost of the rest of the people.”
2. Property taxes and business development continue to be key issues in Hamden among those who do turn out.
Hamden has the third-highest mill rate in the state at 56.38 and, for motor vehicles, 32.46. (The “mill rate” is equal to $1 in taxes for every $1,000 in assessed value.”)
In 2019, Hamden had more debt per capita than any other municipality in Connecticut, but in May 2023, credit rating agency Fitch revised the town’s finances from “stable” to “positive.”
In its press release, Fitch wrote that the revision “reflects improvement toward a structurally balanced budget and significant improvement in the town’s unrestricted reserve position due to a combination of asset sales and a series of debt service restructurings.”
Voters remain skeptical, however.
“I believe taxes in Hamden will continue to increase gradually,” Gianluca Chiodi, 21, said.
The ability to attract new business and maintain existing ones is also critical, Brian Dolan, 32, said.
“Being between New York and Boston should give Hamden the ability to draw in business owners across a massive distance,” he said.
- Turnout in primaries remains low, but that is consistent throughout Connecticut.
State voter data indicate Hamden has 18,603 active registered Democrats as of November 1, 2022. Yet, only 4,785 turned out for Tuesday’s mayoral primary. That number is relatively consistent as 5,312 voted in the race in 2021. (Garrett defeated then-incumbent mayor Curt Balzano Leng.)
“The importance of local politics to me, on a scale of one to 10? I’d say a two or a three,” Ian Fisher, 36, said. “I’ve been in Hamden for about a year and a half… local politics aren’t really in the conversations in my home.”
The state’s five biggest cities saw low turnout, reports throughout the state revealed.