DANBURY — Mayor-elect Roberto Alves announced a five-member transition team to help the Democrat “hit the ground running” once he is sworn into office in less than three weeks.
Alves heads toward his first mayoral term after defeating incumbent Mayor Dean Esposito in Nov. 7’s municipal election by 394 votes, according to unofficial results. Alves will be the first Democrat to occupy the mayor’s office since 2001 — when longtime Republican Mark Boughton was first elected. Boughton at the time succeeded another longtime mayor: Democrat Gene Eriquez.
Alves announced his transition team’s co-chairs are former state Rep. David Arconti, a Democrat who represented Danbury’s 109th District, and David Cappiello, a former state senator and state representative who founded the Capital Hill Group government relations firm. United Way of Coastal and Western Connecticut President and CEO Isabel Ameida, Danbury attorney Dan Casagrande and Taylor O’Brien, former public relations specialist for the city, round out the transition team.
As Danbury’s outside corporation counsel, Casagrande has handled the city’s lawsuit with Pacific House and has handled other zoning-related lawsuits for the city.
O’Brien, who worked for Boughton’s administration, will become Alves’ new chief of staff once he takes office.
“There is no shortage of talent and knowledge in Danbury, and I’m pleased to say that we’ve assembled a team that exemplifies just that,” Alves said in a written statement. “As we prepare to take office, our team will focus on opening the books on our city’s finances and assessing our fiscal health, government transparency, policies, city projects and infrastructure, and our schools. Our goal is simple: hit the ground running, and we’re excited to do that.”
Arconti, when reached Monday, said the transition team has short-term and long-term objectives. The short-term goal is to meet with the outgoing Esposito administration to prepare the new team to take office Dec. 1.
“I think it’s going to be a little bit of an undertaking,” Arconti said. “Think about it: there’s been only three mayoral transitions since 1989. Boughton, Eriquez; Esposito, Cavo, essentially. This is going to be a little bit of an undertaking. There’s a lot of work ahead. Everyone is excited.”
Arconti, a Democrat, described Alves as a “very collaborative” person, who he expects will work with the city’s entire statewide delegation and local political leaders, regardless of their party affiliations.
“He’s really doing this for the right reasons,” Arconti said.
Cappiello, the transition team’s co-chair, is a longtime Republican. He expressed similar intentions to work in a bipartisan manner.
“I want to do what’s best for the city of Danbury,” Cappiello said, adding that although folks in both political camps presented differing visions for the city, he believes “everyone involved, on both sides of the aisle, had Danbury’s best interest in mind.”
Cappiello said the team’s goal is to ensure the changeover in administrations goes smoothly.
Arconti said he sees the transition team staying together “at least through December.”
Alves described both Arconti and Cappiello as leaders who bring a “wealth of knowledge” between them.
“Those gentlemen are well respected,” he said, adding that in addition to their political experience, the transition team leaders also bring experience in business and community leadership.
“It’s important for me to have voices on both sides. It isn’t about one party or the other — it’s about getting the job done,” Alves said.
In addition, Taylor, his team’s new chief of staff, brings experience to ensure an effective and efficient mayoral transition, Alves said.
Alves said his ultimate goal for that transition “is continuity.”
“There is a literal handover at noon on Dec. 1, from one administration to the other. There is a whole organization that needs to be functioning,” he said.
