Llodra, Rodgers, Fellow Republicans

Review Core Objectives, Future Goals

By John Voket

The local Republican Town Committee, and the party’s top-of-ticket incumbents, First Selectman Pat Llodra and Selectman Will Rodgers, released a pre-election statement November 1 reviewing the five core objectives set forth when they first took office in 2009. Those objectives included: fiscal responsibility, planning, quality of life, Fairfield Hills, and education.

In reviewing those objectives, the GOP noted that Mrs Llodra and Mr Rodgers, along with applicable elected and appointed board and commission members, worked to control operating expenses by keeping the town budget virtually flat since 2007-08.

Under Mrs Llodra and Mr Rodgers the GOP has helped initiate and continues to support the town’s self-funded health insurance for BOE and town employees, which saved more than $1 million in its first year of implementation.

Mrs Llodra also played a primary role in negotiating town labor contracts with scaled down medical plans, increased cost share, and very low wage increases — consistent with what was being seen in the private sector. She also worked with other officials and the town finance director to achieve commodity savings of $2.3 million in the 2009-10 overall budget, with minimal effect to services.

While Mr Rodgers professed in recent public remarks that it is “not sexy,” he and fellow officials evaluated financial policies, including reducing the town’s borrowing limit from ten percent of the overall budget to nine percent.

Republican officials also influenced modifying the town’s fund balance policy to increase savings for unexpected emergencies and improved financial standing; modified capital project planning to save for, not borrow, capital expenses over time; and managed the Newtown employee pension plan to protect the town from unfunded liability — an issue that is plaguing several neighboring towns, according to the GOP statement.

Mrs Llodra and Mr Rodgers also stood with other GOP elected officials supporting long-range planning for the Parks and Recreation Department, strategic planning for the Economic Development Commission, initiating a municipal facilities needs assessment study, which was just completed, and a first-ever road care and bridge rehabilitation plan.

The GOP claims to have tossed a wide net regarding support for many quality of life initiatives including: completing an expansion of the town Senior Center; continuing a commitment to future open space acquisition; establishing a new animal control facility and a skate board park; bringing the management of Eichler’s Cove under Park and Recreation purview, supporting local businesses owners through the Economic Development Commission; and positioning Newtown for future commercial development by supporting the Sandy Hook Streetscape, Sandy Hook waterline, and Hawleyville sewers.

In relation to Fairfield Hills, local Republicans supported the development and implementation of a three-stage plan for Fairfield Hills that encompassed seating a nonpartisan Master Plan Review committee; significant reduction in the role of private management and security operations by folding those services into normal town operations; updating the Fairfield Hills ordinance to allow collaboration of other town agencies in regard to leases; along with backing the development of additional passive recreation on the campus, particularly trail initiatives.

For the first time in recent memory, Mrs Llodra presented town budget proposals in collaboration with the Board of Education, while a number of elected Republican leaders on the Board of Finance and Legislative Council supported sending the 2011-12 Board of Education budget proposal as is to voters in the annual referendum.

GOP officials advocated to keep teachers in the classrooms rather than add additional administrators, and engaged a consultant to examine consolidating town and school overhead functions like finance, purchasing, and human resources.

If elected, Mrs Llodra, Mr Rodgers, and GOP candidates on the finance board and council pledge to utilize that consolidation report to find efficiencies in town and Board of Education administrative functions; develop a singular purchasing policy; and also plan to pursue a bond refinancing in March 2012 anticipating further taxpayer savings in excess of $500,000.

The Republican candidates say they plan to incorporate the results of a Board of Education space needs study into a broader townwide space needs assessment; work with town boards to continue and follow-through with the utilization and implementation of the Plan of Conservation and Development; continue working on the town’s road and bridge maintenance plans’ and a long-term Park and Recreation plan.

Regarding future quality of life concerns, GOP leaders say they will continue analyzing data to support changing demographics, particularly seniors; continue to develop the town’s commercial core through streetscapes, traffic flow improvements and business centers; continue the Hawleyville sewer line; work with borough officials to protect historic streets and ensure Edmond Town Hall continues its role as cultural center and historical venue, while working with Newtown Hook & Ladder to relocate the volunteer company’s headquarters within the borough.

If elected, GOP officials say they plan to continue a townwide approach of crafting budgets; continue to look for efficiencies in town operations; address the changing needs of the district based on data presented in the aforementioned population study; advocate for the establishment of a Board of Education savings account so that money can be saved for future expenses year over year; and consolidating town and school administrative positions for better efficiency and transparency.