It isn't coincidence that Shelton has weathered three recessions, Mayor Mark Lauretti said Monday night, after being endorsed for a 12th two-year term by the Repubiclan Town Committee.
Lauretti said his administration has worked hard to bring Shelton to where it is.
He said low taxes (which fell slightly this year), quality of life, walking trails and dog parks makes the city attractive.
"People will be in awe of Shelton" after more improvements come in, especially in the Riverwalk.
"Even in this economy, we continue to prosper. We earned it. We planned for these things," he told the Republican Town Committee.
Shelton Democratic Town Committee Chairman David Gioiello, Lauretti's challenger, has accused Lauretti of compromising ethics by being a developer and the mayor.
For example, an LLC including Lauretti made $1.92 million selling land to a developer. Gioiello accused Lauretti of making money off of the city.
But Lauretti dismissed many of the charges.
"I've been dealing with that for 22 years. Water off a duck's back," he said, and urged voters to look at the results.
"Forward march, as they say. Forward march," he said. He added that he would make decisions based on facts, not emotion.
"It's nice being on top and we've earned it," the mayor said.
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