City News

State Bonding Commission Approves Funding for Five Key Projects

I’m excited to announce that the State Bond Commission approved funding for five key projects that will provide much needed investments in community resources that are utilized and enjoyed by Stamford residents. I am grateful to Office of Governor Ned Lamont and the State Bond Commission for approving these items and I want to thank our incredible Stamford delegation who work hard every day to bring funding home to Stamford. This would not be possible without their continued support and advocacy in Hartford.

Pave Stamford Initiative

On Monday, I was proud to announce the City’s Pave Stamford initiative, which will increase the amount of road paving and sidewalk construction. The initiative has four objectives: 1. Develop a two-tier paving schedule targeting approximately 70 roads and over 20 miles for paving for the 2022 season. 2. Develop a comprehensive sidewalk restoration plan that restores 100% of Stamford’s sidewalks near public schools in five years. 3. Launch a comprehensive city-wide roadway assessment to establish a priority paving list for FY23 - FY24 4. Research the opportunity to integrate unaccpeted roads into the City’s future road paving plan. The following five schools will be prioritized in year 1 of the sidewalk restoration plan: Newfield Elementary, Davenport Ridge, Northeast Elementary, Springdale Elementary, and Stark School. You can find the full tier 1 paving list here: https://www.stamfordct.gov/government/operations/road-maintenance. Residents can also submit requests for road and street consideration through FixIt Stamford.

WBDC Equity Match Grant Program

On Monday, I joined Office of Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, Senator Pat Billie Miller, and Fran Pastore, CEO of the Women's Business Development Council (WBDC) to highlight the Equity Match Grant Program. This program is designed to help women-owned businesses grow by providing grants that will support projects that have an impact on a business, its growth, and profitability.

I’ve seen firsthand the impact that WBDC programs have had and how they empower women-owned businesses in cities and towns across Connecticut. These small businesses are the backbone of our community and I’m grateful for the leadership of Senator Miller, Lieutenant Governor Bysiewicz, and partners in the private sector that help to advance women and minority-owned businesses and promote entrepreneurship in our community.

Signal Cabinet Relocation with Riley Jones

This week, I joined our Transportation, Traffic, & Parking department for a groundbreaking for a signal cabinet relocation, which will allow for ADA compliant clearance around the controller. This is the result of the advocacy of Riley Jones, a sixth grader, who notified the Citizen Services and Traffic Department that the sidewalk did not allow enough room for handicapped residents to safely use the sidewalk.

Riley’s efforts show how we can all use our voice to make a difference in our community and I want to thank him for his advocacy and Frank Petise, Acting Bureau Chief of the Transportation, Traffic, and Parking Department and his team for their work.

Senior Tax Credit 

For the first time since 2015, Stamford seniors will receive a tax break through the expansion of the Senior Citizen Property Tax Credit. We all know that the struggles of the pandemic combined with rising housing and health care costs and rising inflation, it’s forcing too many seniors to make tough choices, whether it’s being able to afford their prescription drugs or putting food on the table.

This was a priority for my administration and I’m proud that in partnership with the Board of Finance and Board of Representatives we are able to provide tax relief to the senior population. This is just the first step toward improving quality of life and ensuring our community is more affordable.

As we move beyond my first 100 days in office, my team and I continue to work towards achieving the goals laid out by our policy committees. I will continue to share and provide brief updates each to you all, so that you can see and hear how your local government is serving you, key developments that will impact residents and how our city operates, critical announcements in the fight against COVID-19 and our efforts to ensure we recover in a responsible and sustainable way. This is just one platform where I will be sharing updates on a weekly basis, but you can also connect with me and my administration on the platforms below:

• Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• Follow the City of Stamford on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
• Send me an email at mayorsoffice@stamfordct.gov and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

And of course, I will be out and about across the city every week visiting with local businesses, meeting with constituents, and hearing from stakeholders in our city – so I hope I’ll be able to talk to you in person very soon.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mayor Caroline Simmons