Danbury council approves $49 million public safety and infrastructure bond for November ballot after rejecting split

The Danbury City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 26 to send a $49,000,000 public safety and infrastructure ordinance to the Nov. 5 referendum, rejecting an amendment to split the fire/EMS portion from the rest of the package.

The bond ordinance, as drafted, would appropriate $49 million for planning, design, construction, engineering, equipment and land acquisition across multiple public-safety and infrastructure projects and authorize issuance of bonds to meet the appropriation. Councilman Salvatore moved adoption of the ordinance; the motion was seconded and the full council approved the ordinance by roll-call vote, 19–0.

Why it matters: proponents said the combined package lets the city secure funding promptly and address interconnected public-safety needs including a long-discussed West Side fire station and roads; opponents and several public speakers said bundling risks diluting voters’ ability to decide on the most urgent projects and asked for more detailed cost breakdowns.

Public commenters pressed for transparency. Jeff Berlin, who identified himself as a Danbury resident, said he supported a West Side station but criticized the bond as a single-line proposal without architectural plans, engineering budgets, equipment cost lists or staffing plans. “Where are the details? We are being asked to support a $49,000,000 bond … without any concrete information on how these funds will be spent,” Berlin said, urging the council to split the bond or provide itemized documentation.

Several residents described long response times and local needs. Frank DeStefano urged an EMS substation near the Rivington community after reporting a 30-minute EMS response to a recent injury. “I’d like to see that response time significantly shortened,” he said. Council member supporters noted consultant reports and past facility studies and argued that delaying the bond risks higher construction costs and slower delivery of emergency services.

Council debate centered on timing, ballot mechanics and voter clarity. A motion to split the public-safety portion (proposing $22 million for the West Side public-safety line) was proposed and seconded but failed on a roll-call vote, 3–16 (yes: Coelho; Emile Buzade; Fox). Council members who opposed the split argued that splitting would restart the ordinance process — requiring another public hearing and likely missing the November ballot — and could delay construction that backers say would improve response times.

Chief Thode (fire chief) told the council the need has been documented for decades and urged moving forward: “The time has come,” he said, noting multiple historical reports and target maps used to identify the area for a station. The chief also told council members staff had obtained equipment quotes and were negotiating prices for turnout gear and apparatus.

The presiding official noted an estimate range for the West Side station of $18 million to $22 million, including apparatus, and said personnel costs were already accounted for in the operating budget. Council members supporting the ordinance urged the administration to hold public information sessions before the referendum so voters can ask detailed questions.

What happened next: the council adopted the ordinance for a special city meeting of electors to be held Nov. 5, 2024. The amendment to split the question failed (3–16). The final roll-call vote on the ordinance was unanimous (19–0). The meeting adjourned after brief closing remarks.

What remains unresolved: speakers and some council members asked for specific architectural plans, equipment inventories and line-item cost estimates to be published before the election. The ordinance authorizes bonding; the final project scopes, site decisions, and procurement will be determined in later administrative steps and, if the referendum passes, during design and contracting phases.