Hamden’s Mayor Just Declared War on the Working Class
The Council offered relief. The mayor shut it down. The question now is: what will we do about it?
In a move that surprised no one, Mayor Lauren Garrett has officially vetoed the Legislative Council’s revised budget, a plan that would have saved taxpayers $17.7 million, offering desperately needed relief to residents. This comes after months of residents showing up, speaking out, and sacrificing family dinners and free time to demand real help, only to be ignored yet again. Below is the email she sent to the Council this evening, in which she promises to explain her reasoning “soon.” I’ll be sure to share that with you when it arrives.
If you missed the recap of the Council’s budget, you can catch up here.
What This Means for You
Unless the Council overrides the veto, Hamden’s budget snaps back to the mayor’s original version, complete with a punishing 43.39 mill rate. You can see what that means for your household using our tax calculator; just look at the column labeled “Garrett.”
Spoiler alert: it's worse for virtually everyone.
Everything the Council did to soften the blow is now on the chopping block, and word is, many on the Council plan to fall in line behind the mayor. So much for checks and balances.
Even if they try to salvage it with a phase-in, it won’t bring real relief, not with a completely avoidable $24 million tax hike looming next year.
The Excuses You’re About to Hear
Mayor Garrett will claim this is about protecting the town from state intervention. She’ll argue that accepting the Council’s cuts would put Hamden in MARB territory, the Municipal Accountability Review Board that oversees distressed towns.
From what we've reviewed, including the town’s financial statements and year-end data obtained through FOIA, her narrative doesn’t hold up. The administration has been anything but transparent this budget season. Critical financial documents were delayed, withheld, or incomplete. The mayor's sudden alarm over MARB seems less like genuine concern and more like a cover story.
This isn’t about financial responsibility. It’s about political self-preservation.
Lauren Garrett’s administration has made a point of hiding the financial truth from the public. And now, at the eleventh hour, she’s trying to paint herself as the responsible adult in the room, the one "saving" the town from state oversight. But if we’re being honest, maybe that’s exactly what we need.
Is It Time for State Oversight in Hamden?
The Municipal Accountability Review Board categorizes towns into four tiers based on risk. Hamden has likely met Tier I criteria for years: low reserves, a massive pension and OPEB burden, reliance on one-time funding, and a glaring lack of transparency.
MARB isn’t only for bankruptcy. It’s oversight. And at this point, that might be the only way to get honest accounting and adult supervision. Hamden already functions like a Tier II or III town; the only difference is that no one is watching.
How We Fight Back: Power in Numbers
Operation: Take Back Our Town
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any."
— Alice Walker
We need to show up relentlessly, visibly, and together. This is the moment to be loud. They can ignore a handful of us. They can’t ignore hundreds. And they definitely can’t ignore thousands. We can't afford to wait for the election. We have to act now.
📧 Flood Their Inboxes & Demand Oversight:
Email the mayor and let her know you’re not okay with this. Tell the Council to overturn her veto and do the right thing. Reach out to our state reps, MARB, and oversight officials. Contact the Attorney General and demand a forensic audit. We need state eyes on Hamden’s books now. Be clear, be personal, and be loud. And don’t stop there. Contact the media and shine a spotlight on what’s happening.
All emails and templates are available on our site.
📞 Let Freedom Ring, Off the Hook:
Call the mayor’s office. Call your representatives. Call the governor. Jam their lines until they hear us.
All phone numbers are on our site.
📆 Attend the Meetings:
Keep the pressure on. Show up to the next Council meeting and every one after.
THIS NEXT MEETING IS CRITICAL, PLEASE ATTEND AND SPEAK:
Legislative Council Meeting
Monday, June 16, 7:00 PM
Agenda and link here
🪧 Join a Protest:
Formal actions are coming soon, but don’t wait. Grab a sign. Show up at Town Hall. Show up at the mayor’s office.
Hamden Government Center
2750 Dixwell Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518
Hamden Government Center (Mayor's Office)
11 Pine Street
Hamden, CT 06514
🔗 Stay Connected
Join the Hamden Residents Unite Facebook group and subscribe to this Substack.
📲 Share with Friends & neighbors:
Share this with your friends and neighbors, we have power in numbers. When we show up together, they have no choice but to listen.
Don’t Let Them Wait Us Out
Take these steps. Then do one thing every day. Send an email. Make a call. Talk to a neighbor. Repeat.
We cannot let up the pressure. That’s exactly what they’re counting on, one big wave of outrage, followed by silence.
We can’t let that happen. Not now. Not to our town.
They want us to burn out and back down. Instead, we rise. Every day, louder and stronger. Until we are heard.
The mayor made her move. It’s time to make ours.