Boughton approved as tax commissioner
DANBURY — The state has a new tax commissioner.
The state House approved former Mayor Mark Boughton to be head of the state’s Department of Revenue Services.
“It’s an honor to be able to serve the residents of Connecticut, so I look forward to it,” Boughton said.
Boughton has been serving as commissioner for about two months, but Wednesday’s vote makes his position official.
After leading the city for about 20 years, Boughton resigned as Danbury’s mayor in mid-December when the governor nominated him for the position.
Gov. Ned Lamont reached across the aisle in picking Boughton, a Republican, who ran unsuccessfully three times for governor.
Boughton served an unprecedented 10 terms as mayor and had already decided not to run for an 11th term when Lamont offered him the job.
Boughton said he and the governor want to avoid raising taxes, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We want to maximize the taxes that we have, make sure we collect everything that is owed to the state of Connecticut and make sure we do that with compassion given the challenges of COVID,” he said.
He said he has been working on various initiatives, including an online tax filing system. The goal is
eventually to move all filings online, he said.
“The net result is that our residents will have a much easier time filing online,” Boughton said.
Boughton still lives in Danbury and is leading a committee working on the proposed $90 million career academy that he had championed as mayor.