Town of Trumbull, CT

Trumbull Breaks Ground on Multipurpose Center for Veterans and First Responders First Selectman Vicki Tesoro welcomed veterans, first responders, elected officials, and community members to the groundbreaking ceremony for the multipurpose center for veterans and first responders. "As we break ground today, we honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans and first responders," said Trumbull First Selectman Vicki Tesoro. "In just over a year, our Trumbull American Legion chapter and the VFW chapters serving not only Trumbull but also our friends in Shelton, Monroe, Easton, and Redding will have a new place to call home. As important, we will have much-needed training space for our first responders and police departments, and anyone needing a warm and welcoming gathering space will have a spectacular new venue to consider. On behalf of a grateful community, I want to thank everyone who made today possible from our dedicated Building Committee to our federal, state, and local delegations for championing this project and helping us to secure the necessary funding. This truly has been a collaborative effort." Located on Trumbull's scenic Kaatz Pond at 1 Veterans Circle, the 5,500-square-foot facility will be the home base for the Trumbull chapter of the American Legion and the VFW chapter serving Trumbull, Shelton, Monroe, Easton, and Redding. It will provide a centralized, safe, and secure place with access to professionals who can identify and connect area veterans with care, treatment, training, and services. In addition, this state-of-the-art facility will support first responders and police departments by hosting educational programs, professional development seminars, and regional training opportunities. Kaatz Pond will continue to serve as a training site for water rescue teams. With a vaulted ceiling, cozy fireplace, and catering kitchen, the new multipurpose center will be an ideal location for municipal boards and commissions, civic and community organizations, as well as for weddings, birthdays, retirement parties, and other special occasions. There will be multiple ways for donors to honor those who have served our country. Corporate and individual giving, naming and dedications, and a wall of honor provide opportunities to recognize their service and support the ongoing facility operations. To learn more, visit www.trumbullvfrc.org.

First Selectman Vicki A. Tesoro is releasing the following joint statement with Representative Sarah Keitt (D-Fairfield, Trumbull) REPRESENTATIVE KEITT, TOWN OFFICIALS APPLAUD SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION REIMBURSEMENT FOR HILLCREST MIDDLE SCHOOL Rate was set through bonding package passed in House and Senate Representative Sarah Keitt (D-Fairfield, Trumbull) is pleased to announce that the Town of Trumbull will receive a 44% reimbursement rate for the new construction of Hillcrest Middle School. The reimbursement rate was set through a bonding package passed in the House and Senate in the final days of the legislative session. "I'm pleased this funding is coming to Trumbull," said Rep. Keitt. "First Selectman Vicki Tesoro, Superintendent Dr. Martin Semmel, and I worked to put together a strong bonding application. With the future of school construction reimbursement in question, Trumbull is fortunate to have secured this funding now." "I want to thank our entire state delegation led by Representative Sarah Keitt, whose dedication and tenacity led to this great result for Trumbull," said Trumbull First Selectman Vicki Tesoro. "If the Hillcrest Middle School referendum passes, the financial obligation on the taxpayers of Trumbull will be significantly reduced due to Representative Keitt's efforts. Our reimbursement rate from the State for new construction would have been 24.29% if we were not granted this increase to 44%. This is approximately a $27,000,000 savings for our taxpayers should a new school be constructed!” In 2023, Trumbull Public Schools completed a year-long, district long-range plan, which identified several priority projects, ranked according to the physical condition and programmatic need. Hillcrest Middle School emerged as the first step in the long-range plan. The current middle school was built in 1967 and is at, or beyond, the end of its useful life. "I was thrilled to hear the news that our Hillcrest Building project was supported by both the House and the Senate, " said Trumbull Superintendent Dr. Martin Semmel. "Our recently completed Master Facilities Plan identified Hillcrest Middle School as the school with the greatest need from both a physical and programmatic point of view. I want to thank our elected officials for working together to increase the State's reimbursement for this potential project." The plan is to build a new Hillcrest Middle School to house 826 students in grades 6-8 on the existing campus. The project must be approved through the town’s referendum process before construction can begin.

First Selectman Vicki A. Tesoro has created a monthly newsletter to keep residents informed of all the great things going on in Trumbull. By subscribing to the newsletter you can keep up to date and never miss a month. To sign up, go to the Notify Me Subscription page at https://lnkd.in/eayibSTn, and select the First Selectman’s Newsletter, as well as any other news you’d like to receive. You can create a unique login to customize information available on our website to your particular interests.

Vicki Tesoro Named Chairman of CT Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG) The Town of Trumbull is pleased to announce that First Selectman Vicki A. Tesoro has been elected to the position of chairwoman of the regional Metropolitan Council of Governments (MetroCOG). MetroCOG is a multi-discipline, regional planning organization that is guided by a cooperative partnership between the Region’s six-member municipalities: the City of Bridgeport and the towns of Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, and Trumbull. MetroCOG works with these municipal partners to identify projects, programs, funding opportunities, and best practices that are strategic to achieving a shared vision for the region. The agency’s core disciplines include transportation, land use, environmental and natural hazard mitigation planning, brownfields assessment and remediation, economic development, regional shared services, and a range of Geographic Information Systems/mapping services. First Selectman Tesoro has been attending and participating in these regional meetings since being elected as First Selectman in 2017, sharing ideas and innovative suggestions for projects that will benefit our regional partners. MetroCOG Executive Director Matt Fulda stated, “I congratulate First Selectwoman Tesoro on her appointment as Chairwoman of MetroCOG and I look forward to working with her to position the region as a vibrant place to live, work and do business. As a dedicated and committed public official, Vicki’s vast experience and leadership will be a benefit to MetroCOG and the entire region.” Tesoro remarked, “MetroCOG has been instrumental in obtaining funding for the paving of Strobel, Booth Hill, and Chestnut Tree Hill Roads. It is a partner in the town’s latest project to widen Spring Hill Road, creating queuing lanes for the transfer station which will provide for improved traffic flow on Spring Hill Road. The planned light at the intersection of Main Street and Whitney Avenue has received assistance and support from MetroCOG and we are grateful for its participation in obtaining funding for the traffic light at the Edge Plaza on Route 111. I am honored to have been elected to lead this planning group into 2024-2025 and create other opportunities that will benefit Trumbull, the surrounding towns, and the City of Bridgeport.” Trumbull looks forward to First Selectman Tesoro’s leadership and MetroCOG’s continued support and participation in projects in the region.

S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings Issue AA+ Bond Rating to Town of Trumbull First Selectman Vicki Tesoro is pleased to announce that S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings have issued a very strong and favorable bond rating of AA+ to the Town of Trumbull. The two reputable credit ratings agencies carefully review all pertinent financial documents and conduct meetings with Town Hall management before issuing a long-term bond rating.  S&P Global Ratings stated that financial operations have been steady for the last several years, with the town producing positive operations. General fund revenues are made up primarily of property taxes (85%) and intergovernmental sources (11%) which, along with high budget oversight and expenditure controls, has led to a strong financial position. Fitch Ratings believes that the town, through its historically conservative financial management, is well-positioned to manage future economic downturns while maintaining a high level of fundamental financial flexibility. The town's strong revenue raising ability, healthy unrestricted fund balance levels and solid control over other expenditures afford the town substantial gap-closing capacity. First Selectman Vicki Tesoro states, “This good news reaffirms that Trumbull is in very good financial standing.” According to both S&P and Fitch the Town’s pension liabilities continue to be the major factor keeping Trumbull from attaining a higher credit rating. However, according to S&P, countering this liability is a debt burden that is manageable, with low annual costs. Although S&P believes Trumbull is likely to sustain its elevated pension burden, S&P believes management will likely continue to monitor revenue growth and exercise expenditure controls to maintain reserves above its stated policy level of 10%. “I am pleased that our conservative approach to Trumbull’s budgetary needs continues to be recognized by the ratings agencies. A strong credit rating allows the Town of Trumbull to borrow money at a lower interest rate over a long period of time, and that is always good news for the people of Trumbull. Due to our high budget oversight, we have been able to maintain our AA+ bond rating over the last several years despite the challenging economic conditions,” stated First Selectman Vicki Tesoro.