To The Editor:

I’m happy to see my colleague on the Board of Selectmen, Jeff Capeci, is drawing attention to an important budget item and potential new position within the town government (in his letter to the editor last week). I’m speaking of a Director of Operations. I believe this is a role that warrants further evaluation and public discussion.

The idea of expanding administrative capacity in this way is not new. The role has been closely studied and explored by a dedicated bi-partisan work group prior to Mr. Capeci’s time as First Selectman. It’s worth noting that three former First Selectmen, Dan Rosenthal, Pat Llodra and Herb Rosenthal, all endorse inclusion of this role for Newtown. These former First Selectmen all agree that they — and the town — would have benefitted from a dedicated resource helping to oversee day-to-day supervision of town departments, improving efficiency and workflow, and ensuring continuity in operations across election cycles.

The First Selectman would still serve as the publicly elected Chief Executive Officer, providing long-term vision and policy, representing the town to all residents, commissions/boards and the State. The First Selectman would retain the role as being the primary public voice of the Town, responding to community concerns and crises, and setting agendas and priorities that shape the Town’s governance and direction.

A Director of Operations position offers an operational enhancement to town government, not a restructuring of it. Notably, this role is fundamentally different from — and should not be confused with — a Town Manager, which would require a Charter change and represents a significant shift in Newtown’s form of governance. For the record, I am not in favor of pursuing a Town Manager structure now, and although the Legislative Council may be considering the topic with their upcoming Charter revisions, I believe it’s overly ambitious and too big a change to pursue at this time.

Whether one ultimately supports or opposes the addition of a Director of Operations, it is important that the proposal receives full and open discussion with the Board of Finance and Legislative Council through the established budget review process before any final determination is made. Given the evolving complexity of municipal operations, thoughtful examination of this role is both reasonable and appropriate; it should not be dismissed out of hand. I look forward to thorough public review and discussion in the weeks ahead.

Paul Lundquist

Newtown