Big Decisions For The Family Of Newtown

By CURT CLARK

Published: May 30, 2001 12:00 am

Newtown is a growing family. The combination of the quality of life here and the availability of large tracts of land for development over the past ten years set the stage for a growth spurt of 20 percent. And while the town has become more vital and interesting as a result, it has also become more crowded and demanding of services. The highway department has taken on miles of new roads, the police department has added patrol officers, but nowhere has the demand been more pressing than in the schools. The competition for classroom space has forced school administrators to tour closets and storage areas with measuring tapes and calculators. The same ethic of âmaking doâ has long been the rule at Edmond Town Hall, where town employees sometimes sit cheek by jowl in overcrowded offices trying to serve the growing population.

The town meeting vote next week on the construction of a new school for grades 5 and 6 and on the purchase of Fairfield Hills is the equivalent of a growing family sitting down at the kitchen table to decide if they can afford to move to a bigger house. It is a big decision. It is an exciting decision. It is a necessary decision.

The selectmen, the Legislative Council, and the townâs finance director have done all the figuring and have concluded that these two major projects can be financed without straining future annual budgets beyond the publicâs willingness to support them. In fact, voters already approved initial financing for both the school and Fairfield Hills in the 2001-2002 budget vote this spring. So like the family that finds the new house it wants and the financing it needs at a favorable rate, the only thing left to do is to find the resolve to decide âYes, weâll take it!â

Notwithstanding perennial debates over the usefulness of the town meeting in this age of referenda, the town meeting next week on Wednesday evening, June 6, at 7:30 pm in Newtown High School will be most useful. It will allow all interested members of our community family to gather around the table to ask questions, express concerns, and be a part of the most important decisions the town has ever made in one night. By approving these two projects, Newtown will be affirming its own resolve to move confidently into the future as a vital and growing family.

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The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

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Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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Big Decisions For The Family Of Newtown

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