Hartford, Connecticut
From Ballotpedia
| Hartford, Connecticut | |
| |
| General information | |
Mayor of Hartford
Arunan Arulampalam | |
| Last mayoral election: | 2023 |
| Next mayoral election: | 2027 |
| Last city council election: | 2023 |
| Next city council election: | 2027 |
| City council seats: | 9 |
| City website | |
| Composition data (2019) | |
| Population: | 123,088 |
| Race: | White 31.3% African American 37.7% Asian 2.7% Native American 0.4% Pacific Islander 0.1% Two or more 6.4% |
| Ethnicity: | Hispanic 44.3% |
| Median household income: | $36,278 |
| High school graduation rate: | 74.5% |
| College graduation rate: | 16.9% |
| Related Hartford offices | |
| Connecticut Congressional Delegation Connecticut State Legislature Connecticut state executive offices |
Hartford is a city in Hartford County, Connecticut. The city's population was 121,054 as of 2020, according to the United States Census Bureau.
Click on the links below to learn more about the city's...
- Mayor
- City council
- Other elected officials
- Elections
- Census information
- Budget
- Contact information
- Ballot measures
City government
- See also: Mayor-council government
The city of Hartford utilizes a strong mayor and city council system. In this form of municipal government, the city council serves as the city's primary legislative body and the mayor serves as the city's chief executive.[1]
Mayor
The mayor serves as the city's chief executive. The responsibilities of the mayor include proposing a budget, signing legislation into law, appointing departmental directors, and overseeing the city's day-to-day operations. The mayor also represents the city on the state, national, and international levels.[2]
The current Mayor of Hartford is Arunan Arulampalam (D). Arulampalam assumed office in 2024.
City council
The Hartford Court of Common Council, which is more commonly known as the City Council, is the city's primary legislative body. It is responsible for adopting the city budget, approving mayoral appointees, levying taxes, and making or amending city laws, policies, and ordinances.[3]
The city council is made up of nine members. All nine members are elected at large to four-year terms.[1]
Other elected officials
Ballotpedia does not cover any additional city officials in Hartford, Connecticut.
Mayoral partisanship
- See also: Partisanship in United States municipal elections (2025)
Hartford has a Democratic mayor. As of February 2025, the mayors of 35 state capitals are affiliated with the Democratic Party, seven are Republicans, one is independent, and two are nonpartisan. The partisan affiliation of five state capital mayors is unknown. While most mayoral elections in state capital cities are nonpartisan, most officeholders are affiliated with a political party.
Elections
2023
The city of Hartford, Connecticut, held general elections for mayor and city council on November 7, 2023. A primary was scheduled for September 12, 2023. The filing deadline for this election was August 9, 2023.
Census information
The table below shows demographic information about the city.
| Demographic Data for Hartford | |
|---|---|
| Hartford | |
| Population | 121,054 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 17 |
| Race and ethnicity** | |
| White | 26.4% |
| Black/African American | 36.1% |
| Asian | 2.3% |
| Native American | 0.4% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% |
| Two or more | 15.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 44.8% |
| Education | |
| High school graduation rate | 74.3% |
| College graduation rate | 18.3% |
| Income | |
| Median household income | $45,300 |
| Persons below poverty level | 25.5% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | |
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
Budget
The city's budget process operates by fiscal years running from July 1 to June 30 of the next year. The responsibility for drafting a budget falls to the mayor, who must propose a budget to the city council by the third Monday in April. The council reviews the budget and submits the amended budget to the mayor for certification. The mayor may approve, reduce, or disapprove the budget changes within 48 hours. Upon action by the mayor, the city council has until May 31 to adopt the budget. The council also holds hearings to allow for public input in the budget process.[4]
Fiscally standardized cities data
The fiscally standardized cities (FiSC) data below was compiled by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to make municipal budgets comparable across cities in the United States.[5]
| “ |
FiSCs are constructed by adding revenues and expenditures of each central city municipal government to a portion of the revenues and expenditures of overlying governments, including counties, independent school districts, and special districts. The allocations to FiSCs are estimates of the revenues collected from and services provided to central city residents and businesses by these overlying independent governments. Thus FiSCs provides a full picture of revenues raised from city residents and businesses and spending on their behalf, whether done by the city government or a separate overlying government.[6] |
” |
| —Lincoln Institute of Land Policy[7] |
The tables below show estimated finances within city limits. As such, the revenue and expenses listed may differ from the actual city budget.
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Historical total revenue and expenditure
To see the historical total revenue or expenditures as a rounded amount in this city, hover over the bars.[5]
Contact information
Mayor's office
Hartford City Hall, Room 200
550 Main Street
Hartford, CT 06103
Phone: 860-757-9500
City Clerk's office
Hartford City Hall, Suite 104
550 Main Street
Hartford, CT 06103
Phone: 860-757-9750
Click here for city council contact information.
Ballot measures
The city of Hartford is in Hartford County. A list of ballot measures in Hartford County is available here.
See also
- Cities in Connecticut
- Hartford County, Connecticut
- Largest cities in the United States by population
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Citizens' Research Education Network, "Inside Hartford: A Guide to City Government," accessed December 13, 2021
- ↑ Hartford Code of Ordinances, "Chapter V. - the Mayor," accessed December 13, 2021
- ↑ Hartford Code of Ordinances, "Chapter IV. - the Court of Common Council," accessed December 13, 2021
- ↑ City of Hartford, "Office of Management, Budget, Grants, and Revenue," accessed August 23, 2023
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities database," accessed August 23, 2023
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "Fiscally Standardized Cities," accessed August 23, 2023
