Candidates’ Forum Is Courteous And Constrained

By Steve Bigham

First Selectman candidates Herb Rosenthal and Owen Carney came face-to-face for the first time in a public forum Monday night at the annual Pizza & Politics event at the Fireside Inn. Both men are hoping to win voter support on Election Day, November 6.

For many of the more than 200 in attendance it was the first time they had heard from Mr Carney, the Republican challenger. The former Newtown police captain has run a quiet campaign thus far, preferring to avoid confrontation and shrugging off the conventional political wisdom that the challenger must go on the attack in order to beat the incumbent.

Mr Carney, 50, is banking on there being enough people out there who feel it is time for a change. He says his many visits to the town dump have revealed that there are voters who believe Mr Rosenthal’s administration of the town should come to an end.

But Mr Carney knows it will be difficult to unseat the two-term Democrat. Throwing someone out of office is no easy task and there does not appear to be any organized opposition to Mr Rosenthal, 55. Monday’s event reinforced that fact as both candidates expressed similar views.

With regard to Fairfield Hills, which the town recently voted to purchase from the state, both men echoed each other, with one significant distinction: Mr Carney has made it clear that he does not want to see any commercial development at the Fairfield Hills campus. Mr Rosenthal has been at the forefront of the Fairfield Hills issue for four years now. He is committed to getting as much community input as possible in formulating a master plan, but he is not ruling out commercial uses.

Mr Rosenthal told the assembled crowd that his experience may be his most valued quality, and he believes the investment the people of Newtown have made in him will continue to pay off over the next two years.

Mr Carney says his years on the police force have taught him about the importance of planning. He often talks about the importance of “planning your work, then working your plan.”

Asked to name a Rosenthal shortfall, Mr Carney pointed to a lack of long-range planning and suggested that the town’s debt service was too high.

Mr Rosenthal respectfully disagreed, pointing out that his administration has made a big push in the “planning department.” Mr Rosenthal was behind the decision to have Community Development Director Elizabeth Stocker begin dedicating more of her time to planning. He also spearheaded a study to determine how the highway department could better plan its road maintenance. Since then the department has increased its road resurfacing to 75-80 miles per year. He also cited the planning work of the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Mr Rosenthal defended the town’s high debt service, pointing out that bonding has allowed the town to have the things it wants, such as Fairfield Hills and the 5/6 school. He added that Moody’s Investment Service recently upgraded the town’s bond rating.

“It’s difficult to keep taxes down. There is no magic bullet out there,” he said.

Mr Carney suggested the town’s indebtedness was too heavy and suggested the town “may have to pull in its belt” and consider an “austere” budget to get ourselves out of this “downward spiraling” debt service.

At one point Mr Carney pledged that if elected he would create an open space program that Mr Rosenthal later explained is already in place. Mr Carney said he favors a regulation by which developers may give the town payment in lieu of the usual 10 percent of land they usually have to set aside for open space. The town could use that money to buy open space elsewhere.

Mr Rosenthal said that program was already in place. He went on to make a long list of open space initiatives during his term. They include the protection of some 1,100 open space acres at Fairfield Hills, the Kelda land in southwestern Newtown, and the Kazan property off Route 34.

Mr Carney, for the most part, has declined to take jabs at the incumbent first selectman. He has been reserved in his criticism.

During Monday’s forum, Mr Carney was asked to name the most significant thing he would change with the current administration. The crowd chuckled as Mr Carney started to talk, then looked over at Mr Rosenthal as if he wasn’t sure if he should speak.

“I’ve got a long arm,” Mr Rosenthal joked.

“Yes, but I’m the long arm of the law,” Mr Carney replied, invoking his police background for a laugh.

Who’s arm will extend the furthest come November 6? Stay tuned.

The Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club and The Newtown Women’s Club sponsored Monday’s event.