Strong leadership has advanced Middletown for 8 years
Middletown, N.Y – June 14, 2017 – Current Middletown Mayor and lifelong resident Joe DeStefano today announced his bid for re-election as the city’s mayor, a post he has held since 2010. He made the announcement in front of over 150 supporters at a fundraising event on June 12 in Middletown.
DeStefano stated, “These past eight years are only the beginning to moving our great city forward. We now have the house in order and the investments are being made from both the public and private sectors that will help revitalize our downtown, our neighborhoods and the city as a whole.”
DeStefano has served Middletown residents for more than 30 years as Alderman and Mayor. One of the major highlights of his current tenure is economic development. He has attracted many new businesses and jobs to the city, including Touro College of Medicine to the former Horton Hospital campus and a new College of Fine Arts to the former psychiatric center property.
DeStefano has also run a more efficient city government by remaining below the state tax cap for his past two terms and sharing services with other towns. In addition, DeStefano has increased revenue to the city with the sale of an abundant water supply.
Under DeStefano in 2016, Middletown received $17.5 million in grants. He has since secured over $30 million in outside grants for the City’s residents to be invested over the next 18 months.
DeStefano added, “Not only will these grants be used to improve infrastructure but we are also addressing quality of life issues.”
Middletown has boasted a 35% reduction in crime and 41% reduction in violent crime from 2011 through 2015.
DeStefano also announced his continued alliance with current Alderman at Large J. Miguel Rodrigues who is also bidding for re-election.
Rodrigues stated, “Together we’ve worked hard to get this city back on track over the past eight years and now we need to sustain this momentum. The Mayor and I will continue to work with the Common Council and all of the city’s departments to put the needs of our residents first.”
