To the Editor:

According to a May 7, 2015 article in The Newtown Bee, “the Community Center project will, in part, be funded through a $15 million gift from the GE Foundation in the wake of 12/14”.  This $15 million amount was to be broken down into $10 to build the center and $5 million for operations.

The article goes on to state that in addition to this amount “the town’s capital improvement plan, which contains it’s own budgeting of $15 million in coming years planning for Community Center purposes.”

This brings the total cost of the proposed Community Center to $30 million.

As a member of the Economic Development Commission, I would like to stress to the members of the Community Center Commission how important financial transparency is in this round of planning.  If the true total cost of the proposed Community Center is going to be in the $30 million range, I think this is something that the people of Newtown are entitled to know up front.

Paul Fadus

Economic Development Commission

5 Sunset Hill Road, Newtown                    May 8, 2015