John Oliver dangles $55K incentive to get Mayor Boughton to rename sewage plant

The public spat between Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton and HBO funnyman John Oliver is showing no signs of abating, with Oliver returning Boughton”™s latest volley with a financial challenge.

The British-born comic started the fracas on an Aug. 16 episode of his show “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” with an expletive-heavy rant against Danbury as part of a segment on problems with Connecticut”™s jury selection process. Boughton responded in a Facebook video by facetiously announcing Oliver”™s name is being attached to a sewage treatment facility, stating “We are going to rename it the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant,” the mayor said. “Why? Because it”™s full of crap just like you, John.”

Oliver responded to Boughton on the latest episode of his show, promising to donate $55,000 to Danbury-area charities if the sewage plant was named for him. He also claimed he would pay for a sign bearing the “John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant” name.

“I will happily do all of 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 told the Danbury audience, adding he would give Boughton one week to meet his challenge. “I beg of you: Don’t Danbury this one up!”

Boughton returned the volley with a pair of social media messages: “Yeah. We are on it @iamjohnoliver. Standby.” and “We are preparing”¦”

We”™ll keep you updated until this story ends…if it ever ends.