Newtown Democrats Release New Policy Issues

By John Voket

After working for several months to craft a package of policy issues that are embraced by local rank and file Democratic Town Committee members, a special committee headed by Board of Finance Vice Chairman James Gaston provided the approved points to The Newtown Bee this week.

“The DTC has been working for some time to come up with salient issues to illustrate what local Democrats stand for,” Mr Gaston said in issuing the position paper. “The object of our subcommittee is to address these basic issues that the vast majority, if not all, local Democrats can agree on.”

Mr Gaston said with the next budget process looming, and a Charter review ongoing that could change the way Newtown taxpayers vote and potentially render opinions on why they voted on the town and school budgets, now was the time for the local Democrats to release the policy points.

“It was a good time to set forth an agenda,” Mr Gaston said, adding that at least 30 DTC members voted in favor of the policy points, which are as follows:

*The Democratic Town Committee (DTC) supports a Charter Review Commission study that includes the addition of advisory questions to the annual budget. Said questions would inquire whether the budget is: sufficient, too high, or too low. Of significant import is that the advisory opinions reflect meaningful feedback. It is recognized that the present law provides but skeletal answers that may not match the actual vote of the voters.

Resultantly, the DTC further supports additional legislation in the General Assembly that would permit more expansive advisory questions and accounting so as to better understand the intentions of the voters;

*The DTC supports Section 32 of Public Act 10-108, known as the School Construction Bill that enables the Board of Finance and Legislative Council to establish a contingency fund from unexpended annual budget funds to be used as needed in subsequent years. Said contingency fund would enable the Board of Education to more effectively budget for yearly expenses and avoid the risk of underfunding consequences. It is anticipated that more effective budgeting as to reasonably expected expenses will reduce costs to taxpayers and risks to the Board of Education; a win-win situation;

*The DTC supports an expanded Charter Review Commission study as to whether the present annual budgetary process is the most efficient, effective and desired structure, or whether another is advisable.

The DTC takes no position on whether any other governmental system or method is advisable until the study is complete. The DTC at this time supports the present structure;

*The DTC supports a strong education agenda and submits that a long-term, five-plus-year plan should be explored by the Board of Education such that it develops a plan to place Newtown students in the top 25 percent of DRG status in testing results, similar to its position at the town’s DRG wealth status. The DTC supports fiscally responsible funding for this five-plus year education plan to support that long term plan;

*The DTC supports the present owner-operator system of school bus transportation. Historically, the owner-operators have provided superior personal services to the community, have done so at a competitive and cost efficient manner, and have added to the economical well being of the town.

“We see no change necessary at this time or in the near future,” according to the release;

*The DTC suggests the Board of Education exercise a clearer communication process such that parents understand the planned teacher days which are likely to impact working parent(s).

Mr Gaston explained that his fellow subcommittee members, as well as other DTC representatives, know there are other policy issues to be raised in the future, but these six rose to the top, and are all equally important.

While his group tendered draft language for the points, Mr Gaston said it was town committee executives who issued the final wording that was subsequently embraced by the DTC’s membership.

These initial points, Mr Gaston said, can certainly act as foundational material on which to build additional policies, and that even these core ideas “could be subject to amendment or alterations in the future.”