On Tuesday, January 10th, Tom announced that his Mayoral campaign is in a strong financial position and outlined my policy position across public education, public safety, affordable housing, and racial equity.

Tom said, “Our campaign is in a financially strong position, and I am inspired by the positive response from our community.” Full text of the speech is below.

Hello everyone and welcome. I started this campaign because I love the city of New Haven and believe that I can make a difference on issues that matter – like education, safety, housing, and racial equity. I am incredibly proud of the response our campaign has received so far. In just two weeks since I launched my campaign, we have raised over $18,000 from more than 110 individuals. To show that this campaign will be competitive, that I am committed to the end, and that I have skin in the game, I have also self-funded our campaign launch with $25,000. Our campaign is in a financially strong position, and I am inspired by the positive response from our community.

In the coming weeks and months, we will share detailed proposals for confronting New Haven’s biggest challenges – public education, public safety, affordable housing, and racial equity. 

Our school system, once an example to other urban school districts, had the worst chronic absenteeism of any Connecticut district last year and is being closely monitored by the State Department of Education. Make no mistake – this is a moment of crisis. As Mayor, I will be hands-on with education, ensuring that district leadership has the rigor, accountability, and transparency that our families deserve. I will enact policies that improve our ability to attract and retain quality teachers, strengthen our partnerships, and ensure that students are engaged in the classroom.

Public safety is paramount. So many of our residents do not feel safe walking outside at night, or even in the daytime. As Mayor, I will go beyond conventional approaches to crime by investing in preventive measures to disrupt cycles of violence before they occur, and strengthening our approach to getting illegal guns off of the streets.

Our city faces a housing crisis, with skyrocketing rents and property taxes increasing 20% or higher in several neighborhoods, despite the city receiving more than $100 million in Federal funds last year. This has caused homeowners and renters to be pushed out of their homes. As Mayor, I will freeze the property tax increases and fight to establish rent stabilization. I will also establish incentives to encourage more owner-occupied housing purchases.

Impacted by the history of redlining and discrimination, our majority-Black and -Hispanic commercial corridors need renewed investment, and we must strive to address the racial disparities that still plague our city. The most extreme racial disparity in New Haven is that of Black business ownership – Black residents are 22x less likely to own a business than white residents. As Mayor, I will establish a community-based business development initiative, working with commercial corridors like Dixwell Avenue and Grand Avenue while providing needed support to minority entrepreneurs to build centers of economic and cultural excellence in our city. 

On all of these issues – education, safety, housing, racial equity, and so many others – when I talk to community members, I am met with the resounding agreement that the status quo is not enough, that together, we can change this city for the better. That we can put our schools back on the track to improvement. That we can build diverse centers of cultural and commercial wealth in this city. That we can give alternatives to violence through early intervention and economic opportunity. That is what this campaign is about. I am excited to share my vision for New Haven, to meet residents all across the city, and to listen and engage with what matters to all of you. I believe that together we can bring about the change this city needs. Thank you.