HARTFORD, Conn. — In the latest twist of the saga between HBO host John Oliver and the city of Danbury, Mayor Mark Boughton has agreed to Oliver’s proposal to rename the city’s sewage plant after him if Oliver donates $55,000 to local charities.
That is, with one condition: Oliver attends the ribbon-cutting ceremony in the city he has now famously pilloried.
Boughton made the announcement on WTNH-TV’s “Capitol Report” Sunday morning following an extended back-and-forth that began when Oliver ridiculed Danbury on one of his recent “Last Week Tonight” episodes.
The jabs continued Sunday. Boughton said that, should Oliver not accept the offer, he’s “already talking to the two Jimmys (comedians Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel) and to (comedian Trevor) Noah.”
The mayor also appeared in the video next to a port-a-potty outside of the $110 million plant, which he named in Oliver’s honor.
“We certainly have something we’ve named after you, your own personal port-a-potty, ‘the John Oliver (expletive) House,’” Boughton said. “So, Mr. Oliver, come on up to Danbury, and sit on your throne.”
Boughton originally proposed the idea, in jest, that the city name its sewage plant after the comedian in response to Oliver’s anti-Danbury tirade on his show, a digression from a segment on why people of color are excluded from juries.
“We are going to rename it the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant. Why? Because it’s full of (expletive), just like you John,” Boughton initially said.
But Oliver took Boughton’s proposition seriously, and upped the ante by agreeing to support local charities if Boughton went through with it. Those donations include $25,000 to the Connecticut Food Bank, $25,000 to fulfill all of the requests from Danbury school teachers on DonorsChoose and $5,000 to ALS Connecticut. Oliver had threatened to donate the money to rival towns if Boughton did not respond to his offer.
“I will happily do that if, and only if, your mayor makes good on his promise to officially name that sewage plant after me, because I want this. I need this,” Oliver said last week.
The Twitter account for Oliver’s show last tweeted about sewage plant situation on Wednesday. There was no word Sunday on whether Oliver will accept Boughton’s offer and descend upon the city he so passionately flamed.
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