The governor is appointing Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton to be the next commissioner of the Department of Revenue Services.
Gov. Ned Lamont released a statement on Friday, saying that Boughton would begin serving as the commissioner on Friday, Dec. 18, and plans to resign his position as mayor prior to taking on this new role with the state.
Boughton said there will be a transition and he expects to split his duties between Danbury and his state role for a couple of weeks.
The governor said Boughton’s nomination will be sent to the General Assembly for its advice and consent.
Boughton is serving his tenth consecutive term as mayor of Danbury, making him the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history, according to the governor’s office.
Boughton, a Republican who called himself a fiscal conservative and a social libertarian, said this is another way to serve the state. He called it a nonpartisan job and said you have to treat Democrats and Republicans equally.
"At the end of the day, our function is to make sure that the public is serviced as best as possible, and that's why this job is probably one of the only jobs I would take because, it's truly a nonpartisan job. You can't be a Republican or a Democrat in the chair because you do so much compliance ans so many audits and reviews. You've got to treat both Democrats and Republicans equally," Boughton said.
Boughton ran for governor in 2018 and Bob Stefanowski went on to win the Republican nomination. Lamont defeated Stefanowski in the general election.
During a news conference Friday morning, Boughton said he does not plan to run for governor in 2022.
"I think, the short-term, elective office isn't in the cards for me and I think long-term, I highly doubt I wound run again for anything, but you never say never, but definitely not 2022," Boughton said.
“Mark has earned a reputation as being a dedicated public servant and hard worker, and his experience as mayor provides him with a considerable amount of knowledge on the inner workings of government, particularly when it comes to the impacts certain measures can have on the local level, where they are closest to home,” Lamont, a Democrat, said in a statement.
“I firmly believe that a bigger table, open door, and creative solutions will help produce the best outcomes for the people of our state, regardless of someone’s political affiliation. I thank Mark for making the decision to join our administration and I look forward to having him serve in this important capacity,.” the governor went on to say.
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“I’m looking forward to leading the department and bringing my experience and expertise to the State of Connecticut,” Boughton said in a statement released by the governor’s office. “My dedication to public service hasn’t changed. After years serving one of Connecticut’s largest cities, I am excited about the chance to serve the people of the State of Connecticut in the Lamont administration. Governor Lamont’s team has shown its dedication to the people of our state since he took office, especially during this pandemic, and they have been great to work with through this transition. I stood by the governor when our state saw its first case of COVID-19 back in March, and I am proud to become a member of his team as he continues to lead the state during this unprecedented period.”
The former commissioner, Scott Jackson, resigned earlier this year to accept a role in the administration of New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and John Biello, the agency’s deputy commissioner, has been serving as acting commissioner during the interim.
Boughton said he will host a Facebook Live at noon to answer questions from the public about the transition.
