As fireworks filled the sky over Bushnell Park, marking a new year, the Capital City welcomed its new leader. Arunan Arulampalam was sworn in at midnight as Hartford’s 68th mayor during the First Night celebrations.
Arulampalam will spring into work at City Hall on Tuesday. On Monday, his first day as mayor of Hartford, Arulampalam spoke to NBC Connecticut at his Hartford home, saying he feels honored to lead the city he loves.
“I feel incredibly excited,” Arulampalam said. “It was such an exciting evening to be surrounded by so many friends and family who were there in the crowd and to come into office with all the challenges we're going to face with a group of people across the City of Hartford who are excited to be a part of the solutions. It was just incredibly gratifying and humbling for me.”
After being joined on the First Night stage by his mother and his wife, Rev. Liza Arulampalam, who administered the oath, Hartford’s mayor now prepares to tackle a long list of early initiatives. Arulampalam says he plans to address intertwining issues that include housing, neighborhood investment, downtown growth, economic development, education, youth services, and public safety.
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“I think that residents of Hartford understand that those issues all are interconnected,” Arulampalam said. “They're all part of one whole and the way in which we experience the city, and the opportunities that kids have growing up in the city, and the ways in which families feel safe in the city.”
On Tuesday at City Hall, the mayor will sit down with department heads one by one, discussing budgets and goals for the coming year.
“The city needs a mayor who's energetic, who's out there and who's talking to residents,” Arulampalam said. “The city needs a cheerleader, a mayor who will go out and trumpet the message of the city.”
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A mission to strengthen Hartford’s potential; and Arulampalam hopes to bring as many people to the table as possible.
“I hope this is a city in which people really understand the vision, get behind the vision, and feel like they're part of where we're going as a city. It's a city in which everyone really feels like they're part of building the progress of the future,” Arulampalam said. “Folks are really excited about what's coming in the future of Hartford. We are an incredible city. We are a city that is on the rise, and I hope that people see that.”
Next for Hartford’s new mayor: the inaugural celebrations are scheduled for this Thursday, Jan. 4.
Arulampalam says about 900 people are expected to attend the sold-out inaugural ball at the Convention Center, which will involve several local restaurants, breweries, and vendors.
There will also be a kids’ ball on Sunday, Jan. 7, so that the city’s youngest residents can also be a part of the inauguration.
