Changing

The Facts

To the Editor:

When the previous first selectman’s executive assistant writes a letter titled “What Really Happened” [Letter Hive, April 25] in response to my letter about canceling the new town hall, one would expect that she, more than most people, would have the facts on her side. But her letters demonstrate just the opposite and frankly that worries me. I have forwarded to Jan [Andras]’s home copies of the documents I reference below.

Jan stated that the $21 million bonding package for Fairfield Hills included a town hall. Look again. It’s not there. See document “Bond Issue for Fairfield Hills.” Moving our historic “Town Hall” from Main Street and giving up the revenue from Mary Hawley’s annual trust was not what most voters expected when they agreed to fund renovations for “school and other municipal purposes.” I, like most taxpayers, understood the intent was to consolidate the town departments that were renting office space elsewhere.

Again, Jan is misinformed when she states that after the master plan was developed, a resident insisted there be a townwide vote on the master plan. OMG! Does she really not know that it was her boss Herb Rosenthal who promised voters two years earlier that they would get to vote on the plan before it was implemented? See Newtown Bee December 24, 2003 and September 30, 2004.

Next, Jan points out that a town vote on a master plan is not a statutory requirement. True, but once the first selectman is on the record promising a town vote to get voters to agree to fund $21.8 million, taxpayers consider it a requirement. In addition, the HMA cost estimate stated that a town meeting would be part of the appropriate approval process. See “HMA Cost Estimate.”

Jan was wrong again when she suggested the master plan was revised using information from Herb’s $13,000 survey. In fact, that survey reached the same conclusions as the four previous surveys, but rather than embrace those conclusions, Herb argued that gaining voter consensus would be impossible.

Jan finally got it right when she stated: “The master plan being implemented today by the Fairfield Hills Authority is not the same plan that was voted on at that referendum.” Bingo. Thank you. After voters defeated the first plan, Herb changed the plan without public participation and town officials began to implement it.

Today, the project is not what taxpayers authorized. The plan for the $6 million “municipal office space” will likely be a $14 million town hall. Funding will only allow one of the seven planned ball fields.

Unfortunately, when we had the chance to stop the project during budget season last year, town officials misled the public by announcing that the town hall would be built even if the public refused to approve the budget. In fact, without taxpayers approving the debt service, the funds could not be borrowed. But after reading Jan’s letters, I am angry because it appears the previous administration simply changed the facts to suit their agenda for Fairfield Hills.

Kevin Fitzgerald

24 Old Farm Hill Road, Newtown                                 April 30, 2008