| Neil M. O'Leary | |
| Office: | 46th Mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut |
| Term Start: | December 1, 2011 |
| Term End: | December 1, 2023 |
| Predecessor: | Michael Jarjura |
| Successor: | Paul K. Pernerewski Jr. |
| Birth Place: | Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Nationality: | American |
| Party: | Democratic |
| Spouse: | Kathy O'Leary |
| Children: | Patrick and Maggie |
| Alma Mater: | Dean College University of New Haven |
| Occupation: | Mayor of Waterbury |
| Footnotes: | [1] [2] |
Neil Michael O'Leary (born October 10, 1958) is an American politician and retired police chief who served as the 46th mayor of the City of Waterbury, Connecticut until 2023. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
In 1980, O'Leary joined the Waterbury Police Department. In 2004, he became Waterbury Chief of Police. In the summer of 2009, O'Leary left his position in Waterbury to become the chief of police of Wolcott, Connecticut.[1]
In 2011, O'Leary stepped down as Wolcott Chief of Police to run for mayor of Waterbury. One of O'Leary's efforts bore fruit early on, with the opening of three new pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade primary schools, as well as the Waterbury Career Academy High School. In response to complaints about the condition of parks, O'Leary established a summer youth corps that helped perform routine maintenance in the City's parks. He also officially enrolled Waterbury in the national "Cities of Service" organization, which employs public service as a serious method to address critical local concerns. Employing a similar approach to blighted housing, O'Leary helped neighborhoods develop a comprehensive anti-blight program with reciprocal chores and responsibilities. He is collaborating with state and federal governments to reclaim abandoned industrial lands along the City's river-rail spine, the site of an alternate transportation riverfront greenway.[3] In March 2023, O'Leary announced he was not running for reelection as Mayor.[4] [5] [6]
The mayoral elections were held on November 8, 2011, and O'Leary won with 45.97% of the votes, beating former mayor of Waterbury, Michael Jarjura.[7]
On November 5, 2013, O'Leary was re-elected for a second term, defeating board of education commissioner Jason Van Stone and perennial Independent Party candidate Larry DePillo. The turnout for the election was 23%.[8]
On November 3, 2015, O'Leary was re-elected for a third term, soundly defeating all challengers. The voter turnout for the election was 21%.[9] As a result of a change to the city charter following the 2014 charter referendum, O'Leary became the first mayor of Waterbury to win a four-year term.
Election day was Nov 5th, 2019. O'Leary won a fourth term for office, collecting a resounding 68.61% of the vote.