AWARD WINNING EDITORIAL
INCLUDING THE HUDSON VALLEY NOVEMBER 15, 2021 VOL. 57, No. 45
westfaironline.com
TALKING WITH THE TAXMAN: HOW LONGTIME DANBURY MAYOR BOUGHTON IS REINVENTING THE STATE'S REVENUE DEPARTMENT BY KEVIN ZIMMERMAN Kzimmerman@westfairinc.com
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t may seem odd to refer to a 57-year-old as a “warhorse,” but given that Mark Boughton has been in government for roughly 26 of those years — including a record 10 two-year terms as Danbury’s mayor—it seems appropriate. His 10th term, of course, was cut short in December 2020 when he was tapped by Gov. Ned Lamont to become the commissioner of the state’s Department of Revenue Services (DRS). Danbury City Council president Joe Cavo was sworn
in on Dec. 16 of that year but decided against running for a full term, with Dean Esposito — a chief of staff under both Cavo and Boughton — defeating Democrat challenger Roberto Alves by fewer than 200 votes. He will be sworn in on Dec. 1. “Danbury had a great exercise in democracy,” Boughton told the Business Journal. “Dean spent many years as my chief of staff, and I wish him well. But I want to compliment Roberto as well — he worked very hard.” Boughton shrugged off the narrow margin of Esposito’s victory. “I won by
138 votes (over Democrat Chris Setaro) the first time I ran for mayor” in 2001, he noted. “People today are definitely split, but Danbury is a great place where people come together and let the mayor be the mayor.” Similarly, he said, Lamont is willing to let the DRS commissioner be the
Mark Boughton receiving the news of his GOP endorsement for governor in 2018. He would ultimately run for and win a 10th term as Danbury mayor before joining the state government. Photo courtesy Jessica Hill/AP.
Stella gets ready for a stellar opening DRS commissioner. “Every commissioner says they’re going to chase down the tax money that people owe, but the bureaucracy has tripped them up,” Boughton said. “In my case, the governor said, ‘I’m going to stay out of your way,’ which is refreshing.” » MAYOR BOUGHTON
BY PETER KATZ Pkatz@westfairinc.com A new luxury apartment building in New Rochelle that is expected to begin receiving its first tenants in January is providing an example of how helping fill the social need for afford-
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able housing can make good business sense. The 28-story building, which has been named Stella, is at 14 LeCount Place, just across from the New Rock City shopping and entertainment complex. Chappaqua'd Wilder » STELLA OPENING
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