Flatto Re-Announces Bid for State Comptroller

First Selectman Ken Flatto this afternoon re-announced his bid to be state comptroller in front of Old Town Hall, saying he is the most qualified and experienced candidate for the job.

"There are others who are going to announce - some have already announced. We're all newcomers to the challenge, we're all starting from scratch," Flatto said. "I know and I believe I am the best qualified and most experienced."

Flatto, the town's Democratic first selectman for 10 and-a-half years, eight and-a-half of which have been consecutive, said he decided to seek the Democratic nomination for state comptroller after the current comptroller, Nancy Wyman, a Democrat, decided to run for lieutenant governor as the running mate of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dannell Malloy.

Flatto said he thought "very long and hard" about whether to seek the Democratic nomination for state comptroller and decided that the issues facing the state were serious and required "proven, qualified, results-oriented leadership."

Flatto, a certified public accountant for 31 years, was a comptroller and chief financial officer in Orangetown, N.Y., was deputy controller and interim controller in Yonkers, N.Y. and was controller for the National Resources Defense Council. As first selectman, Flatto said he had prepared and overseen a $250 million budget.

"I've proven over the last 11 years...what it takes to run a budget of a quarter of a billion dollars," Flatto said. "Fairfield has been blessed with a AAA rating, and we plan to continue that, but we want the state to accomplish that."

Flatto said more jobs needed to be created in Connecticut and that the state needed financial stability. "That's what I've been doing in Fairfield," he said.

Flatto announced his candidacy for state comptroller on Sunday, then followed it up with a formal announcement this afternoon.

Flatto said he didn't plan to step down as first selectman while he campaigned for state comptroller, should he receive enough support at a Democratic nominating convention this weekend in Hartford.

Flatto said time management was one of his skills and that he could serve as first selectman and campaign for the comptroller's job at the same time. "I will keep leading Fairfield as long as I can, but will step up as state comptroller," he said. "I will not let our citizens down. I will be there every hour I'm needed to do my day job."

The first selectman's job isn't a 9-to-5 job under the Town Charter. The Charter just says that the first selectman "shall devote full time to the duties of the office."

Flatto served as first selectman from 1997 to 1999 and from 2001 to present. He was defeated in 1999 by Republican John Metsopoulos, but Flatto then defeated Metsopoulos in a rematch in 2001.

When Flatto became first selectman again in November 2001, the town budget was $155.3 million and the amount of money raised by local taxation was $133.5 million. The town's debt on June 30, 2001 was $65.1 million and the annual debt service in fiscal year 2001-02 was $10.6 million.

The 2010-11 town budget approved May 4 by the Representative Town Meeting is $251.5 million, an increase of $96.2 million, or 62 percent, from the budget in place when Flatto was elected in November 2001, which works out to an average annual increase of 6.9 percent.

The amount of money to be raised in local taxation in the 2010-11 town budget is $226.4 million, an increase of $92.9 million, or 70 percent, from the budget in place when Flatto was elected in November 2001, which works out to an average of 7.8 percent a year.

The town's debt as of June 30 was $212.6 million, an increase of $147.6 million, or 227 percent from the time Flatto was elected in November 2001. Annual debt service is $23.8 million in 2010-11, an increase of 125 percent from 2001-02. The town during that timeframe embarked on a $200 million campaign to build and renovate schools and renovate Fairfield Public Library.

The tax increase for residents over Flatto's continual three and-a-half terms in office varies because of townwide property revaluations.

But Town Assessor Thomas F. Browne Jr. said Flatto's Orchard Hill Drive house was assessed at $151, 690 when he was elected in November 2001 and that the tax rate at that time was 29.2 mills, or $29.20 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. That would give Flatto a tax bill of $4,429 in the 2001-02 fiscal year.

In 2010-11, Flatto's tax bill will total $8,564, an increase of 93.4 percent, or average of 10.4 percent a year.

Flatto should learn how much support he has for the Democratic nomination as comptroller at a nominating convention this weekend at the Connecticut Expo Center in Hartford. "I intend to go to the convention with as many delegates as possible...and blow them away with positive leadership and results," he said.

Flatto said he hopes to gain support from at least 15 percent of delegates at this weekend's convention, which he said would make "a candidate a serious candidate," adding if there isn't a clear front-runner after the convention behind whom the party can coalesce, then a Democratic primary for the comptroller's job would be held in August.

If Flatto gains the Democratic nomination for comptroller and wins in November, it would be up to Democratic Selectman Sherri Steeneck and Republican Selectman James F. Walsh to fill the vacancy on the Board of Selectmen by choosing a Democrat.