There will be a huge New Year’s Eve celebration in Hartford. Organizers say First Night Hartford will be the biggest in years. Making the night even bigger, though, is the inauguration of the city’s new mayor.
Just as the fireworks are lighting up the sky, there will be a pretty significant political event on the ground. Just below the Bushnell Park arch, at midnight, Hartford’s incoming mayor Arunan Arulampalam will be sworn in, and the wheels of transition are already in motion.
Facilitating the process, transition documents were exchanged Friday.
“We thought it was important to provide an overview of what’s been done, what’s being done, and all that’s left to do,” outgoing Mayor Luke Bronin said.
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The documentation highlights these 11 key areas of focus: city finances, public safety, gun violence, housing and economic development, housing quality and blight, youth and young adults, small business support, health, arts and culture, sustainability, and process improvement.
It’s an outline for the new administration that was also made available to the public today on the city’s website. The mayor-elect embraces resident’s input.
“The work that goes into creating a better city doesn’t just happen on the second floor up there in a closed room,” Arulampalam said, pointing to the mayor’s office in City Hall. “It is a process that all of us are involved in.”
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Preparing to leave office, Bronin thanked his team Friday and called the transition bittersweet.
“I love this job. I love this city. I will miss this job and I will miss the team I get to work with every day immensely,” he said.
Come Sunday, First Night Hartford will usher in a new year and a new administration.
“We are going to celebrate for a little bit, but not too much because starting at midnight we take the reins and we’re ready to go,” Arulampalam said.
