Following the closely contested election on Nov. 4, Milford has chosen its next leader. Democrat Rich Smith, who actually served as Milford’s 11th mayor two years ago, defeated incumbent Tony Giannattasio, a Republican, decisively.
“I had prepared my entire life to do this job; working with large organizations, managing complex budgets, and providing leadership,” Smith says. “I was prepared and excited to take on the job.”
For Smith, it is his second go at being mayor, but only his first time winning a mayoral election. His previous stint was the result of an appointment to the mayoral seat after Democrat Ben Blake stepped down to take a different job.
While it’s almost unheard of for an incumbent to lose an election, Smith credited his win over Giannattasio with the hard work he put in getting ready for the race. He visited more than 4,500 homes during the campaign, talking with people on their front porches and in their homes, from Woodmont to Cedar Beach.
With an unofficial vote count of Smith’s 9,964 (55.3%) to Giannattasio’s 8059 (44.7%), the latter was soundly unseated, with the issue of rising taxes taking precedence.
This mayoral election was immense, in terms of dollars and voter turnout: a record-breaking $314,682 was raised for both campaigns. Additionally, with over 18,000 total voters, nearly 2,000 more citizens participated in 2025 than in 2023, showing increased local engagement.
Along with the mayoral election, Democrats secured all 10 Board of Education seats, nine of 15 Board of Aldermen seats, four of five Planning and Zoning seats, and the city clerk position, taking citywide majorities in every office.
Smith’s goals
“My first priority is to seek out opportunities for more transparency and more communication with the people of Milford,” Smith says. “I want to include more people in the ‘conversation’ of our city.”
Smith’s stated plans to improve infrastructure, focus on education, preserve Milford’s charm, and lower taxes, which recently increased, resonate with most of Milford.
For the 2023-24 fiscal year, Milford’s mill rate increased from 27.17 to 29.14, about a 7.3% rise. (A mill rate is a property tax rate that represents the amount of tax per $1,000 of a property’s value.) For 2024-25, the rate increased from 29.14 to 29.55, a roughly 8.7% increase from 2023 to 2025.
Smith’s plans to address rising taxes include generating revenue. “…I need to actively work to attract new businesses and create new revenue streams to offset the growing tax burden on residential taxpayers,” he says.
Regarding transparency, he says he will look at additional ways to share information, such as “using social media and other means to communicate more openly and more transparently about what’s going on in the city.
“And finally,” he adds, “but certainly not last, I’d like to work at encouraging more collaboration and cooperation in local politics.”
In recent years, Milford has experienced partisan divides, specifically on budgeting issues.
Through transparency, communication, and community involvement, many hope Smith’s return will mark a positive turning point for the city as Milford enters a new chapter of leadership.
“It is only through the engagement of each of us, in our own way, that it continues to be the great city we know and love,” says Smith. He added, “While we may not always agree on how to get there, our goal is the same: making Milford better every day.”
He will be sworn in as the 13th Milford mayor on Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.
During a “Mane Street Mirror” interview, Smith noted that he looks forward to the hard work that awaits him and the challenges that are presented. His closing remarks: “Let the change be here. Let the change be now. Let the change be us.”
