STRATFORD — Mayor Laura Hoydick says next month’s election will come down to experience.
The incumbent Republican has an undeniably formidable advantage in that respect over Democratic challenger Immacula Cann.
“I think what’s going to entice the voters to come out and to have them cast their ballots is a proven track record and if they’re happy with what they’ve experienced and they like the progress and the direction Stratford is moving,” Hoydick said during an interview at Town Hall.
The mayor, who has also been a state representative and Board of Education chair and currently serves in a number of other roles, has years of connections and knowledge in how things work that she says benefits the town in a myriad of ways.
Hoydick says she’s confident, and proud of her administration’s work to lower the tax rate. But she said taxes are still high, and increased for some more than others recently.
“I know it’s hard to pay more in taxes,” she said. “Who wants to pay more for anything?”
The mayor emphasized the state-mandated nature of a townwide revaluation that meant property taxes for many are higher — particularly in the heavily Democratic south end of town.
Hoydick said multi-family properties increased in value throughout Stratford, not just in the South End.
“The great thing is values in most cases throughout town increased,” she said. “That’s a good thing, because you want your largest asset to increase in value.”
Other indicators aren’t so positive. For two years running, the town has made the state’s list of its 25 most “distressed” municipalities, which Cann has emphasized in her campaign.
Even with a COVID real estate boom, unemployment is 6.6 percent, according to the state, about 1 point above the state average.
Hoydick said she hopes to see those numbers go down as federal pandemic-related benefits expire.
“There area lot of opportunities for employment and I think as people come off of unemployment reimbursement they will take advantage of these opportunities that are in front of them,” she said.
One of the mayor’s campaign mailers drew attention to her leadership during the pandemic, from marshaling federal and state resources to expanding food pantries and communicating with residents.
“Especially through this pandemic, we have been very responsive and very communicative and very open to listening to people,” she said. “I literally have an open door.”
Cann and the Democrats have criticized the mayor for not doing more to solicit public input and called for a mask mandate when COVID-19 case rates spiked over the summer.
Hoydick said some towns instituted mask mandates and some didn’t. Area municipalities “worked really closely in concert” with one another.
She said the town made concerted efforts at offering vaccinations to residents where rates are lowest, such as census tracts bordering Bridgeport.
“I think we worked smart and I think the proof is in the pudding,” she said, adding it was important to “keep things stable and calm, because people didn’t need any more anxiety or drama about COVID.”
The mayor lists strides the town has made with redevelopment projects like the Center School property and points to more to come, like the former Army Engine Plant, in the town’s effort to create a balance of job opportunities, housing, and places for residents to spend their time and money.
She wishes more could have been done by now.
“I’m interested in lowering taxes and increasing economic development so we can lower the mill rate more than we have in the past,” Hoydick sad. “A little is better than not. But our mill rate’s high. Higher than I’d like it to be.”
The mayor said the town is on the right track and that the best thing to do “is keeping people moving here.”
She points to things like repairs to athletic courts to good town-school district relations to upcoming openings of museums for African-American history and local veterans as ways the town continues to attract new residents — not just from New York but from Norwalk and Stamford.
“It’s very affirming that they say how much they like it here,” she said.
She said her administration has tried to work collaboratively and pointed to celebrations of Juneteenth and Hispanic Heritage Month, the flying of the Pride flag and the annual menorah lighting as evidence of embracing the town’s diversity.
“It’s part of us,” she said. “It’s who we are.”
A lifelong Stratford resident, Hoydick has three daughters and a grandson. She has been married for 36 years to her husband, Paul, who currently serves as maintenance director at the housing authority, a federally funded position.
Though Democrats outnumber Republicans in town, the mayor tries to project a cautious confidence.
“I’m optimistic,” Hoydick said, noting she gets good feedback while campaigning. “It’s very, very, very affirming. I’m glad we listened. We’re hearing what the residents want and I’m glad we’re able to deliver and they have confidence in us.”
“I’m happy to be here,” the mayor said. “I’m happy to be serving in this office to help people make their lives better.”
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